Malleus Daemonium
by Mischivous Purple One
Summary: Harry Potter stumbles upon a little black book while studying for the Third Task. What he finds will alter the events to come, some in more ways than others. What does our favorite butler have to do with it? Go find out, and please review.
1. His Butler Binding

_**M.P.O.: K, so I was watching Black Butler and had a crazy idea. It probably won't go anywhere, and I may give it up for something else, but hey, I tried it. So here you go, my very first Harry Potter/Black Butler Crossover.**_

_**Also, a lot of the original dialogue from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was used in the making of the first two chapters. I do not own, nor do I wish to, it would take all the fun out of writing fanfics for it. XD**_

Prologue: His Butler: Binding

The night was silent, the very grass as still as the stones placed so skillfully among their silky blades. A cauldron bubbled and spat, settled in the sparse vegetation near a great stone figurehead. A quivering pile of black sobbed, rocking from side to side slightly, clutching something to it's chest as it watched, brown eyes wide with fearful adoration. Hanging from the tombstone was a boy, his hair as black as night and wild as a crows nest. His right arm dripped steadily, a thin trail of blood oozing from a long slice along his forearm, barely touching the edge of a small round scar directly below his elbow. The boy was staring at the grass, his lips moving silently, as if he was praying. At his feet, the dripping blood pooled, though it seemed to move in an odd pattern, sliding in lines upon the earth at his feet. The lines were thin, the inner lines ruler straight, while the outer two lines curved, one as thin as the inner, while the outer flared at even intervals, forming a kind of diamond pattern.

_'This had better work. I can't do this on my own...'_

The cauldron was silent now, the liquid with having disappeared. A figure, tall with pale skin and long limbs stood, stepping easily over the rim, livid scarlet eyes focused on the boy before him.

"Robe me." The being demanded, it's voice husky and sinuous, like that of a predator. The huddled mass at it's feet rose, revealing itself to be a rat-like man, who fumbled with the silky black robes, draping them over the thin shoulders and tugging them into place. The man reached into a pocket, pulling out a thin wand, and stroked it's pale wood lovingly, his eyes never once leaving the hanging boy.

_'Crap, it's not finished yet. Ignore the blood, ignore it.'_

The being was talking now, having turned away to address the sniviling man at his feet. The boy did not listen, focusing instead of the mantra he had been chanting since the rat had taken his blood for a depraved ritual. He didn't even notice when his headache increased, a burning pain centered around the lightning shaped scar upon his brow. The blood had almost completed its's array, a pentacle within a spiked circle, shining crimson in color. The boy smiled faintly, ignoring the sounds of swishing cloaks as more people arrived, and the gentle circling of a giant snake in the grass nearby.

More talking. The man was pacing now, waxing eloquent about his death, his return and the loyalty of his followers. Another man screamed under a painful curse, but still the boy did not look up, did not stop his endless mantra. Finally, when the being turned, casting his scarlet eyes upon the boy once more, the boy grew silent and looked up, green eyes burning with hatred.

_'Just one more thing...'_

The man was smiling now, a wide macrabre grin that gave his lipless face an eerie cast, like skin stretched taught over a sun-bleached skull. The pale wand lifted, a sickly red glow lighting the tip for a split second before...

"Crucio!"

Pain, beyond anything he had ever imagined. His bones were on fire from within, the very marrow surely turned to lava by the sheer malice in that single word. He wanted it to end... to black out... to die.

Then, almost as soon as it had started, the pain disappeared, leaving his body wracked with phantom shivers, the ropes binding him to the tomb cutting into his skin as he hung, limp in the tight silk. He nearly sobbed, anger and hatred filling his veins.

_'Dammit! Just one more thing, that's all I need!'_

The ropes disappeared suddenly, cut by the very knife that had stolen his life's blood a mere hour before. He stumbled, catching himself in time and stood, trembling on one good leg, his other shaking beneath him. His feet were carefully placed so as to avoid disturbing the delicate lines of his Array, and he stood strong, glaring defiantly at the creature who dared call himself a wizard.

His wand was thrust back into his hand and he blinked at it, confused. Surely they didn't mean to give him this.

"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" The scarlet eyes glinted in the darkness, taunting, prowling. He did not answer, choosing instead to glare, green eyes glittering darkly from behind wire rimmed glasses.

"We bow to each other, Harry." The beast continued, bending a little though his eyes never once left Harry's face. "Come, the niceties must be observed... Dumbledore would like you to show manners... Bow to death, Harry..."

The black robed figures, 'Death Eaters' his mind supplied, were laughing while their leader gave a lipless parody of a smile. Harry did not bow. He refused to bow, before Death or anyone. He wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction...not even Voldemort.

"I said, bow..." The aforementioned man hissed, raising his wand. Harry felt his spine curve, and fought the feelign with all his worth. It was no use, however, as he had soon bent nearly double, his lips twisted in a soundless snarl while the Death Eater's laughed ever harder.

"Very good." Voldemort said softly, raising the wand. Harry rose from his bent position and glared all the harder, for all the good it did. "And now you face me like a man...straight-backed and proud, the way your father died...

"And now – we duel." The wand rose again, and the pain decended once more, white hot knives digging into every inch of his skin, his throat burning as he screamed, thrashing against the tombstone. He did not fall, no he could not, lest it ruin the array. Finally it stopped, and he leaned against the stone, panting and clutching his wand tightly. His limbs shook fiercely and it was all he could do to keep from collapsing in a heap atop Tom Riddle's grave.

"A little break, just a pause... That hurt, didn't it, Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

Harry didn't answer. He refused to give Voldemort the satisfaction of seeing him beg. Scream in pain, yes, but beg to be killed? No. Never.

_'Two words you evil bastard, two words...'_

"I asked you whether you want me to do that again." Voldemort hissed, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Answer me! Imperio!"

It felt like he was floating, all of his worries swept away, his pain gone. It was bliss, he didn't have to think, all he had to do was dream... _just answer no... say no... just answer no..._

_'I bloody well will not.'_

_Just answer no..._

_'Not going to say it.'_

_Just answer no..._

_'I WON'T!' _Harry yelled, mentally and physically. The words echoed across the graveyard as the blissful warmth disappeared, like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over his head. All of his pain rushed back at him like a two ton truck, slamming into his nerves with all the force of a rampaging hippo. He stifled a whimper, pushing aside the pain and focusing on making sure that the Array was alright.

"You won't?" Voldemort hissed quietly. The death eaters were silent now, bone white masks turned to stare at him as he stood, trembling with the afteraffects of the Cruciatus. "You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die... Perhaps another dose of pain?"

Harry, unwilling to move for fear of disturbing the array, merely glared defiantly, steeling himself for the pain. And pain it was. Voldemort's fury was three times as great in the face of his defiance and it showed in the curse. His very skin felt as though it were being flayed away and fiendfyre allowed to run it's flaming tongues over the exposed nerves. He screamed, oh how he screamed, but still he did not move from his spot, never once picking up his feet or falling to the ground. Seconds passed, then a minute, and finally Voldemort raised his wand, a satisfied smirk playing about his face.

"You foolish boy. How Dumbledore thinks you can beat me I have no idea. I tire of these games." The Dark Lord paced listlessly, tapping the tip of his wand against his chin, scarlet eyes regarding the quivering form of his enemy. Turning to face him once more and raising his eyes to the Death Eaters, Voldermort smiled.

"Say goodbye to the Boy-Who-Lived. Avada Kedavra!" Green light rushed at him, filling his vision and Harry smiled as it hit him square in the chest. Laughter echoed in his ears as he fell, landing sprawled across the pentacle, his eyes glazed and the scar on his forehead oozing blood.

_**It was bright. Almost too bright to be comfortable. He was floating, weightless in a storm of feathers, drifting lazily from an endless sky. A red blanket covered his lower half, sparing this realm the sight of his nudity. This did not bother him. He was comfortable, why should it?**_

"**You have summoned me. Why?" **_**The voice was seductive and dark, echoing from everywhere and nowhere. There was something black, just at the edge of his vision. A twisted perch, with a massive crow settled on it as easily as the feathers drifted around them. **_

"**I seek a contract."**

"**There are few who dare to seek one with me, boy. What is your reason?"**

"**A Dark Lord, a wizard of immense skill, who seeks to rid the world of mundane and magic alike. I am supposed to defeat him, only I have not the knowledge to do so."**

"**And so you seek the aid of a demon?"**

"**I seek the aid of one who can help me accomplish this goal."**

"**Clever boy. You realize that as soon as your Dark Lord is defeated, and your contract complete, that your soul will become mine."**

"**I...I understand. I am willing to make that sacrifice."**

"**You are a strong individual. Very well, make the Contract."**

"**I order you, Sebastian Michaelis, help me to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort in return for my immortal soul!" **

_**His right eye burned as the seal faded into existence, marking him as Contracted. The demon's voice echoed in a throaty chuckle as the feathers darkened, white fading to the deepest black as the crow spread it's wings. **_

"**As you wish, my Master."**

Harry woke with a sharp gasp, one hand flying up to cover his eye, which burned faintly, the glittering purple seal glowing against the milky green iris. He smirked, looking up to see a figure in a black robe standing before him, crimson red eyes narrowed and a polite smile upon it's fey-like face. Voldemort stood a few feet away, eyes wide in shock and surprise at the appearance of this new player. The death eaters too were silent, eyes wide behind their masks as they took in the lanky frame of their new companion.

"Ah, do forgive my intrusion, but the young Master really should be getting back to school." Sebastian simply smiled at the dumbfounded looks he was getting and turned, stooping to hoist Harry into his arms as though the boy weighed no more than a feather. Harry smiled, hanging on to the white button-up shirt and closed his right eye, unwilling to give away his newest secret. The demon turned and began walking casually, heading for Cedric Diggory's body and the faintly glowing Triwizard Cup nearby. He managed to bend down, and set Harry next to the dead boy, and then summoned the cup before Voldemort moved, running towards them as he flung curses, none of which hit their mark. As the Cup reached them, Sebastian smiled and winked, his form dissolving into that of a jet black snake, which coiled about Harry's neck and nestled itself into his robes. Voldemort screamed his fury as the cup landed in Harry's hand, whisking the Boy-Who-Lived and his passengers away in a swirl of color.

_**M.P.O.: K, so this is the Prologue. Tell me what you think, and if I should continue. I warn you now, this one will not be updated nearly as quickly as you would probably like, mainly because I'm working on my Ranger's Apprentice fic, and working on outlines for my soon to be re-written other fics.**_


	2. His Butler Securing

_**M.P.O.: Wow, that's a lot of response for a first chapter. *blinks* I don't usually get so many reviews for just the prologue. XD I'm glad you all liked it. Well, you asked and I decided to be nice, so here you go! Chapter 2 will be posted next Tuesday if it's finished. I ran this through the spell check, but I'm unsure if I got it all, so if you see any problems, please notify me and I will fix them as soon as I can. Review replies and thanks in A/N at the bottom. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 1: His Butler; Securing.**

It had started simply enough. Harry had been researching mythical beasts, spells, traps, even Ancient Egyptian wards in an effort to prepare himself for the Third Task. It was really no wonder he had stumbled upon the small black book that changed his entire life.

The cover was pristine and shiny, looking as though brand new, despite it's obvious age. Flowing script along the spine declared it to be 'Malleus Daemonium' or 'Hammer of the Demon.' At first glance it was nothing more than a vague history of Demons that had been summoned by different Witches or Wizards. One though, caught his attention.

_**Sebastian Michaelis:**_

_**This great demon takes the form of a crow, a carrion bird known for hovering over battlefields to pick clean the corpses of the fallen. Like it's form, the demon known only as Sebastian feeds upon the souls of those bound to it, employing a Contract with which it will become a servant for however long a time as is needed to fulfill the Contract's orders. **_

_**The ritual for summoning this demon has been recorded below, but be warned. The demon will only agree to a contract with one who strikes it's interest. As the ritual involves one's own death, should the demon reject your orders, you will die. **_

Naturally, Harry was curious, and so he read and reread the ritual over and over, repeating the chant to himself late at night, where no one could overhear. He knew it was only a matter of time before Voldmort came for him again, and this time he wanted to have a plan. So what if he would die in the attempt, he would anyway once it was all over. Might as well make it worth it. And so he studied. When the Third Task came around, he was ready.

The cup jerked, pulling both himself and Cedric along with it in a swirl of color, their hands bound to the magical object as it sped them away from Hogwarts into parts unknown.

* * *

><p>The first thing he noticed was the screaming. The stands were filled with panicing people, all fighting their way over each other in their rush to get out, to get away from the scene of horror. Someone nearby was crying, and gentle hands lifted him upright. Blue eyes peered into his own green ones, or rather one, being that his right eye was still shut tight. Albus Dumbledore said something, to which he replied, almost on autopilot.<p>

"He's back."

* * *

><p>Harry stumbled along beside Professor Moody, wanting nothing more than to sink into a soft bed and fall into a deep sleep. His leg burned, and his limbs shook, tiny drops of blood marking their passage along the winding corridors. Almost as if sensing his exaustion, Sebastian tightened his coils a little, offering what little comfort he could give, and reminding Harry that he was not alone, not anymore.<p>

Moody was talking to him, asking questions, and he answered wearily, leaning heavily on the man's arm as he helped him up the stairs.

"What happened, Harry?"

"Cup was a portkey, took me and Cedric to a graveyard... Voldemort was there... Lord Voldemort."

_/He is not who he appears to be... lie./ _Harry blinked a little, not having expected Sebastian to speak.

"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?" Harry, nodded to Sebastian, making note of the use of Dark Lord in place of Voldemort's name, continued warily.

"Killed Cedric... they killed Cedric..."

"And then?"

"Made a potion... got his body back..."

"The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?" The reverence in his voice, barely hidden by the gruff tone, prickled at Harry's senses.

"And the Death Eater's came... and then we dueled..."

"You dueled with the Dark Lord?" The surprise was real, at least. Harry nodded, mind racing, and remembered something he had read about.

"Got away... my wand... did something funny... I saw my Mum and Dad... They came out of his wand..." He lied, hoping that 'Moody' didn't know enough about Priori Incantatum to guess at what it was.

"In here, Harry... in here, and sit down... You'l be alright now... drink this..." Harry frowned a little as a cup was pushed into his hand. Feeling a reassuring squeeze from Sebastian, he allowed Moody to help him, coughing at the sharp peppery taste that burned his throat on the way down.

He blinked, careful to keep his right eye closed, and took in Moody's office, ignoring the fact that both of the Ex-Auror's eyes were fixed upon him.

"Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?"

"He took stuff from his father's grave, from Wormtail, and from me." Harry answered truthfully, grateful for the strengthening properties of the Pepper-up Potion. If he focused, he could still hear panicked screaming from the Pitch.

"What did he take from you?"

"Blood..." He raised his arm slightly, indicating the torn sleeve and the dried blood covering the thin cut that the blade had made. Moody let his breath out in a low hiss, staring fixedly at the wound.

"And the Death Eaters? They returned?"

"Yes... Loads of them..." Harry thought back, trying to remember what had been happening while he set up the Array. His eyes widened, remembering something Voldemort had said to him- something about a Death Eater at Hogwarts. Moody was still talking, asking how the Dark Lord had treated them, when Harry stood, wavering slightly on his bad leg.

"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here- they put my name in the Goblet, they made sure I got through to the end-" He tried to get up all the way, turning towards the door, only to have Moody push him back down with a firm hand.

" I know who the Death Eater is," He said quietly.

"Karkaroff?" Harry asked, freining confusion. "Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?"

Moody laughed, an odd laugh that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He felt Sebastian shift, getting into a position where he would be able to strike easily, should the man attempt anything.

"Karkaroff fled when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them... but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies."

"Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then - he didn't put my name in the goblet?"

"No..." Moody answered slowly, his eyes glittering with malice. "No, he didn't. It was I who did that."

Harry, smirking inwardly, gasped aloud, his left eye widening slightly. Moody grinned, his magical eye swinging around to fix upon the door. Harry, knowing that the man was making sure there was no one outside, stiffened, feeling Sebastian tighten his coils in preparation.

_/Simply give the word young master and he will be dealt with./_

Harry shook his head in reply, seeming to be in denial from Moody's statement.

"He forgave them, then? The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"

"What?" He stared at the wand pointed directly at his chest, watching for the faint glow of magic at it's tip.

"I asked you, whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky." Harry stared, both eyes wide now. Moody seemed not to notice the faint purple lines hovering within the depths of the green, and Harry breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"You fired... What are you talking about?"

"I told you Harry... I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. i expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them Harry..." Moody's face was lit with a wide smile, an insane parody of a grin that twisted the scarred face beyond recognition. "Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful... prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all... you."

Harry, after a moment's though, grinned widely, green eyes glittering. Moody, taken aback at the sudden change of expression, blinked in surprise, his magical eye moving to fix upon the dark haired boy.

_/Sebastian, take him out, but don't bite or kill him. Don't need the professors to know that I used anything but a stunner on him./_

_/As you wish./_ With a loud hiss, the black snake leapt from it's coiled position on the nape of Harry's neck, wrapping itself about the other man's neck. Moody jerked, stumbling backwards while Harry dove out of the way, landing hard on his knees and hissing in pain when his right leg crumpled beneath him. After a moment the imposter had flung the snake away from him, only to have it morph, shifting easily into a 6 foot tall man with eyes a darker red than Voldemort himself and a pleasant smile on his lips. Moody gaped, eyes wide and swung his wand around, the tip glowing briliant green

"Avad-"

"I think not..." Sebastian interrupted, jabbing at the man's shoulder with two fingers. His arm went limp, the gnarled wand falling from nerveless fingers with a clatter. "I cannot allow you to harm my master, I'm afraid, but neither am I allowed to kill you. Such a problem. Perhaps we will meet again some other time." Sebastian smiled, reaching out and tapping a point on the man's neck, sending him crashing to the floor in a heap, unconscious. Harry peeked up from behind a trunk, a fresh cut oozing blood into his right eye, which he had closed again, small cuts slashing diagonally across his eyelid and onto his cheek.

"Excellent Sebastian. Thank you. Uh, you may want to go snake again, the Professors are coming."

"Of course, my lord." The demon bowed at the waist before morphing again and sliding up into Harry's sleeve just as the door burst open with a bang. Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall stood in shock, wands at the ready, and stared at the unconscious Auror. Dumbledore looked around, frowning, and spotted Harry, half hidden behind the trunk.

"Harry! Are you alright?" The older man asked, hurrying over to check on him. Snape moved to the Moody-impersonator and levitated him into a chair, tying him there with silken ropes afterwards. Harry smiled wanly at Dumbledore, his wand in hand, and stood shakily, using the trunk to hold himself up as his leg would no longer support him.

"I'm alright Professor Dumbledore, sir. A little shaky and really tired, but otherwise I'm fine." He answered, letting the older wizard lead him to a chair to sit. He did so with a relieved sigh, sinking into the soft leather and resting his head on the back. When he opened an eye again, Snape was crouched beside him, examining his leg with a critical eye. Harry frowned, watching the Potion's master, only to blink in surprise when the man gave him a vial and ordered him to drink it while wrapping his leg in clean white gause. Tipping it back without thought, Harry winced at the thick, slimy substance, forcing it down with a sputtered cough. After finishing with his leg, Snape moved to look at his eye, frowning slightly when Harry flinched away from his fingers.

"Sit still Mr. Potter, I need to make you haven't damaged your eye." Harry panicked. What would he do? Snape was bound to see the Array this close, and he would ask where it came from and he would have to explain... He could see no way out of it. Finally, forcing himself to sit still, he allowed Snape to look at his face. The man frowned, thin fingers prodding gently at his cheek and forehead before lifting his eyelid carefully. Black eyes narrowed slightly at the glazed appearance of the eye, but he didn't seem to notice the faint purple array hovering in it's depths.

"You appear to have damaged your eye severely Mr. Potter. Madam Pomphrey will be better able to see if it can be healed. In the meantime..." He spelled another bandage to cover the eye, thin strips of white gause holding the patch to his face. Harry frowned slightly; he could see fine, why was Snape saying he damaged his eye? Sebastian, hidden under the folds of his robe, chuckled quietly, knowing exactly why his young master was confused. It was for the best however; no need to flaunt the master's new status in the world, especially for as many enemies as the young lad seemed to have. The Demon frowned to himself, thinking. He needed to learn more about this time period, and these people needed to go away for him to do that.

"Severus, watch Mr. Crouch while I take Mr. Potter to my office. Minerva, would you please go to Hagrid's hut, you will find a large black dog nearby. Lead him to my office and tell him to wait, then go alert Madam Pomphrey that Mr. Potter will be staying the night in her care, if you would." Dumbledore moved over, having finished his interrogation of Crouch. McGonagall nodded and moved out of the room, while Snape stood, wand in hand as he leveled it at Barty, black eyes narrowed into a glare that promised pain. "Come along, Harry. Snuffles will meet us in my office."

* * *

><p>After spending another two hours sitting in Dumbledore's office and recounting his version of events, Harry was finally settled into a bed in the Hospital Wing. Sebastian had slunk off to coil under the bedside table while Madam Pomphrey bustled about, handing him various potion's to drink and tutting over the state of his leg.<p>

"Don't know what they were thinking, allowing a 14 year old into an adult's tournament. You could have been killed!" She stopped a moment, sniffling, before moving again, unwrapping the gauze from around his eye and removing the patch. "Let's see what you've done here." She lit her wand, shining it into his eye with a small frown. He blinked once, struggling not to follow the light as she moved it around, preferring to have the cover of an eye patch over someone seeing the array and knowing what it was.

"You've done a number on yourself Mr. Potter. I'm afraid I can't fix your eyesight, not with an injury like this. The Staff at St. Mungo's may have been able to, if you had gotten to them in time, but the nerves look like they're already severed, and even magic can't fix it after an hour or two." She informed him, giving him a sad glace. He hung his head, the better to hide a small smile, and nodded a little. After a seconds thought, she waved her wand, conjuring a wad of black cloth. "Here, to cover it so people won't stare too bad..." She murmured gently, fixing the eye-patch over his eye and tying the strings behind his head. Harry looked up, into the mirror she held out, and smiled a little, tilting his head to the side.

"Thanks, Madam Pomphrey." He answered gratefully, leaning back on the pillows. She gave him a smile and moved back a little.

"Get some rest Mr. Potter, you're fit enough to leave in the morning." She turned, flicking her wand to turn off the lights as she went. A few seconds later, the large entry doors closed with a thud, and her office light went out. Sebastian, slipping out of his hiding spot, morphed quickly and stood beside the bed. Harry looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"You're probably curious about a lot of stuff, aren't you?"

"A little. If you would not mind, I shall take leave for a day or two, to gather some information and find out what has changed since the last time I was in the Wizarding World."

"Take a few weeks to Explore and research whatever you feel you need to. I would like some information on the Potter Family, if you can get it. Here's my key, go to Gringotts and tell them I sent you. I'll be going home in a month. You can find me then, can't you?"

"Of course. Until then, my master." The demon bowed, his ever polite smile present as he turned and disappeared from the ward. Harry, turning over, snuggled down into the comfortably cool sheets and drifted off, the weight of his eye-patch already a familiar feeling.

_**M.P.O.: K, hope you like it. Not the longest chapters I've ever done, but eh. I think I got a lot more information in it. A lot of the dialogue came form the 4th book, and No, I don't own it, so no bitching. I'm trying to stay with the original time-line as much as possible, so far as events go, so Sebastian's being there isn't going to change much. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Again, this one isn't high on my priority list, so updates will be sporadic and depend entirely upon how much my mind dwells on it.**_

_**Review Thanks to: ZoeyExtreme, Anon, Pinksakura200, sarim, Halo666, tamzingrace, and xXxOtAkU-444xXx.**_

_**Will this be a Harry/Sebastian?: I'm unsure on that point, mainly because I'm not very good at writing for relationships. Should someone with to help me with this, please PM me and we'll discuss it further, but on my own, I'd have to say that no, it will not be Slash. Sorry to disappoint.**_


	3. His Butler Claiming

_**M.P.O.: Again, I am amazed and delighted by the response this story has gotten. It makes my muse extremely happy. For those reading my other fics, You'll have to set them on the backburner, Malleus Daemonium has taken over! Once again, if there's anything you recognize, it's probably taken from the book, as I'm using a lot of the dialogue and scene stuff to create this, with some creatively made differences so that it's not exactly the same. XD**_

**Chapter Two: His Butler; Claiming.**

Summer had begun a mere month after the Third Task, and Harry was as bored as ever. He spent his days lounging in his room at the Dursley's, reading his textbooks and waiting for Sebastian to come back. His eye was covered by a black eye-patch, and had creeped out Vernon enough after he took it off to gain him no chores so long as he kept it on. And so he did, with GREAT pleasure.

After a week with no sign of the 6 foot butler, Harry was starting to worry. Then, the Saturday a week and a half after he had come home, he had received a letter from a jet black owl.

_Master,_

_It would be most appreciated if you could meet me in the park tonight. I've been having some trouble reaching you._

It was unsigned, but Harry could tell who it was from anyway. Not many people addressed him as Master, and most of those were house-elves. So, that night, with his invisibility cloak and wand in hand, he made his way to the park and settled upon one of the swings that Dudley had not yet broken.

After a moment, Sebastian emered from the darkness, having been waiting in the branches of a tree. He had chosen the form of the black cobra again, knowing that it was the only way to talk with Harry without people growing too alarmed.

/I apologize for my lateness in arrival, my Lord. The wards about your house will not allow me entrance unless I cross them with you./

/I should have known. That's fine, don't worry about it. Now, did you get the information you needed?/

/I did indeed, and much more, I assure you. As for the information you sought, I have a file for you to look over. The goblins were extremely willing to serve, especially after Ragnok Hammerhand recognized me./

/Oh? Well, let's go back to the house and I can read it./

He stood, allowing Sebastian to curl about his upper arm, and made his way back to the house, humming quietly. Once ensconced in his room, Sebastian slipped down and morphed. He reached into the pocket of his tench coat and pulled out a large manila envelope with that ever present polite smile of his. Harry felt himself smile in response and leaned forward to take the papers, pulling them from their casing and scanning them slowly. After a moment, he looked up, eyes wide.

"This can't be serious... There's no way that I'm..." He sputtered, staring at the red eyed man in astonishment. Sebastian chuckled quietly, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"You are indeed, my lord. The Lordship of House Potter and the Earldom of House Phantomhive is yours to take, should you but sign the documents and meet with the goblins tomorrow afternoon." Harry stared, casting his gaze back to the papers. Most of them were statements about his vaults, a few about various properties and their conditions, and even one about the management of a large zoo in London. Three however stood out from the rest.

One's scrawled script declared it to be an emancipation form, permitting him to do magic within the confines of Ministry Guidelines, though he had to be fifteen before that would take effect. He suspected that either Sebastian, or the goblins, had added it into the files for a reason and smirked, pondering what it would be like. Absently, he flipped to the next one, noticing that Sebastian was eyeing his room with a faint air of distaste, though none of it showed on the demon's face to be sure.

The second was the parchment declaring him Heir and future Lord of House Potter. It basically explained that in the light of his parent's death, and with no other close blood relation to the house of Potter, he would take the Lordship upon becoming a legal wizard in the eyes of the ministy. Before that time, he would be considered an Heir, only able to take form the trust vault and peruse the various properties under his name. He would also inherit a seat on the Wizengamot, though he was unsure of how exactly he could use that at the moment.

The Third was the most interesting. It detailed the Last Will and Testament of one Ciel Phantomhive, the last blood member of the House of Phantomhive and the Queen's Guard Dog. In it, the young lord had bequeathed his entire estate, his Earldom, and all of his worldly possessions to 'the next to inherit the sevices of my Butler, Sebastian Michaelis.' Harry looked up at Sebastian, raising an eyebrow at the amused grin he recieved in reply.

"Master Ciel couldn't trust just anyone with his estate, and who better to help continue the line than the very demon who ensured it's growth and brought about it's demise?" He replied, looking very smug. The red eyes drifted a little as he thought, remembering. "One of the most interesting Souls I've had the honor of serving." Harry blinked, adding a silent 'And later devoured' to that sentance.

"Right... When do the Goblins want to meet?"

"Anytime you are available, my lord. Of course, since the Emancipation would not come into effect until you turned 15, we have some time to go over the documents, decide which property to sell and other simple things." Harry hummed, nodding thoughtfully and tapping the pappers against his chin while he stared out the window.

"I think I shall wait on the emancipation. The Dursley's aren't being horrible at the moment, and Dumbledore is leaving me alone, so I'll be fine for now. As for Inheriting the House Phantomhive, I'll need to think on it."He paused, reaching for a quill, and signed his name with a flourish on the last sheet. The parchment flashed white, the scrawled letters of his name glowing a briliant red for a moment before fading. Sebastian smiled, reaching into his pocket.

"I thought you might do that, so I asked the goblins for the Potter Heir ring." He held out a small, though wide, band of gold. A large chunk of Obsidian was held in the clutches of two golden paws, the smooth surface etched with the likeness of a rearing lion. Harry smiled faintly, having never seen his family crest before, and allowed Sebastian to slip it on. Curiously, the demon slid it onto his thumb, and Harry tilted his head to one side, pondering the importance of the action. It felt strange, but he kind of liked the look, and so he merely admired the ring.

"Thank you."

"No thanks necessary, my lord."

* * *

><p>They days flew by as Harry spent his Summer doing whatever he pleased. Sebastian, determined to prod the young man into the Lord he was supposed to be, gave him nightly lessons on anything from politics to dancing, the latter of which made Harry blush a brilliant red when he found out. The days were getting steadily hotter, and Harry spent them wandering Little Whinging, following Sebastian's hissed instructions to jog, sprint, jump, twist, dodge, roll, weave and any number of other odd movements. After a few days he could go for fifteen minutes without stopping, after a month he could follow the orders for up to three hours if he needed too.<p>

Dudley, after encountering Harry and his new 'pet', opted for leaving the boy to his escapades, though the rather chunky boy watched enviously as his cousin leapt and spun around invisible opponents. Dudley's gang on the other hand took three encounters to get it into their heads and one such encounter left two boy's with snake bites, though Sebastian had refrained from a venomous bite, just to avoid problems.

August 2nd, a particularly hot day for that particular summer, found Harry hiding in the hydrangea bushedsin front of Number Four, listening idly to the news and humming quietly to himself. His eyepatch was hanging about his neck, the heat making the fabric itchy with dried sweat, and his eyes were half-closed in lazy bliss. Sebastian was coiled nearby, seemingly dozing on a rock, but Harry knew that the demon was merely waiting for him to move, and keeping his senses attuned on the nearby Wizard that had been tailing Harry the last few weeks. Harry could have cared less that he was being followed, he had Sebastian with him at all times and the wards were still strong. It was the lack of information that was making him antsy, or rather, the lack of information from someone other than Sebastian.

Hermione, Ron, and even Sirius had all sent him periodic letters, each with the repeated 'don't get into trouble, and don't use magic' written somewhere in the otherwise useless drivel. Harry, quite bored with the repeated phrases, had merely started burning the letters after giving them a quick once over to be sure there was nothing important. He wasn't so mad as to throw away his gifts though, and enjoyed the Honeydukes chocolate immensely after an excellent dish prepared for him by Sebastian that he couldn't even begin to remember the name of. The demon had taken it upon himself to make sure his master was not wanting for anything, and Harry, though not fond of all the servant/master attitude, took it in stride, if only because Sebastian would merely smile at him if he said anything different, usually accompanied by the phrase 'Should I ever lack in my service, I would no longer be one Hell of a butler.' Finally, tired of arguing the point, Harry relented, so long as Sebastian didn't treat him like an invalid, such as helping him take his bath or dressing him as he had started to do once.

CRACK

Harry jumped up, crouching behind the bushes so as to not hit his head on the open window, and peered over the dying flowers, green eyes searching. Sebastian, annoyed at the loud sound, slid up to coil around his neck, lifting his jet black head to stare around, red eyes unblinking.

/The wizard appears to be gone, my lord./

/Yes. Probably that one who smells of stale tabacco and beer that you found the other night. He never does stay as long as the others./ He replied, the hissed language of the serpent slipping easily from his tongue with the ease of practice. He winced in surprise when Vernon grabbed his hair, having leant out the window to see what the noise had been. The beefy man was red in the face, seemingly both angry with Harry for his 'freakishness', and speechless due to the neighbors peering out their open windows. The large man finally released Harry, likely because Sebastian had decided to make himself known, and gave a wide, falsely cheerful smile to the curious denizens of Privet Drive.

"Lovely evening!" He waved at the inhabitant of Number 7, a woman who was currently glaring through her curtains. "Did you hear that car backfire just now? Gave Petunia and me quite a turn!" Harry snorted quietly, keeping hidden behind the bush until the neighbors had all gone back into their homes. Vernon, beady eyes glaring at Harry, motioned Harry closer. Now, Harry wasn't stupid, and he did move a little closer, though he kept just out of reach of Vernon's hands, and reached up to pet Sebastian idly, a reminder for the older man that there was in fact a deadly snake about his neck. Vernon twitched, studiously ignoring the glazed green eye that seemed to stare though him instead of at him, and growled lowly at Harry.

"What the devil do you mean by it, boy?"

"What do I mean by what?" Harry answered cooly, staring flatly at his uncle while Sebastian hissed in amusement.

"Making a racket like a starting pistol right outside our-"

"I didn't do that." Harry interrupted, snorting slightly. "Didn't even have my wa-" Petunia, looking livid, appeared next to the window, interrupting Harry's sentance with a glare.

"Why were you lurking under our window?" She hissed, large hazel eyes darting to check the neighbor houses, to be sure they weren't watching. Vernon smiled, nodding to his boney wife.

"Yes, good point Petunia! What were you doing under our window, boy?"

Harry sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Listening to the news, of course." He explained, as if talking to a child. Vernon and Petunia exchanged looks, both appearing outraged at the simple answer.

"Listening to the news! Again?"

"Well, it changes every day, you see..." Harry answered, fighting a wide grin.

"Don't you be clever with me boy! I want to know what you're really up to- and don't give me any more of this 'listening to the news' tosh! You know perfectly well that your lot..." Petunia grabbed his arm, eyes wide.

"Careful, Vernon!" Harry raised an eyebrow in amusement, listening with half an ear as Sebastian mimicked the horse-faced woman. Vernon lowered his voice again, piggy eyes boring into Harry's, despite the fact that the teen had yet to replace his eye-patch.

"You know perfectly well that your lot don't get on our news!"

"That's all you know." Harry retorted with a snort. Both of the Dursley's stared at him for a moment, before Petunia spoke up, glaring for all she was worth.

"You're a nasty little liar. What are all those owls doing if they aren't bringing you news?" She hissed, glancing fearfully about the yard, as if Ms. Number Seven were going to pop out of a rose bush any second. Vernon looked gleeful.

"Aha! Get out of that one, boy! As if we didn't know you get all your news from those freaky birds!" Harry frowned a moment, pondering on how to answer that. It was true, the owls weren't bringing him news, though Sebastian more than made up for it. How the demon did it, Harry didn't want to know, he was just glad that someone was keeping him informed. Finally he sighed, going for a half-truth and blanking his face.

"The owls aren't bringing me news."

"I don't believe it." Petunia answered at once, giving him a nasty glare. Vernon agreed, nodding his head and making his double chin wobble.

"No more do I."

"We know you're up to something funny," Petunia continued, sniffing.

"We're not stupid, you know." Harry almost burst out laughing right then and struggled to keep a straight face.

"News to me." He chirped, restraining a grin as he turned, stepping over the bushes and crossing the front yard before they could say anything in reply. Sebastian was snorting in amusement, making an odd sort of hissing that Harry took for chuckled laughter. Setting off down the road, Harry waited until he was nearing the park before laughing, a wide grin spreading easily. He knew he would be in trouble, but he didn't much care. Settling on a swing that hadn't yet been broken, he calmed himself and hummed contently. He frowned slightly, thinking, and wrapped his arm around the chain, swinging slightly.

He had known that wizards were watching him for some time now, though he wouldn't have known if Sebastian hadn't figured it out. There were at least four of them on any given day, two in the morning and two in the evening, splitting into shifts of six hours each. It irked him somewhat to know that he was being watched, but he didn't mind it so much anymore, especially after Sebastian began going out in the morning to get any new information. He frowned thoughtfully; he'd have to find a new way to listen to the news.

/Sebastian, go get something to eat. I haven't seen you eat anything today./ He hissed, glancing down at the coils of black snake, somewhat amused by the red eyes that stared back at him.

/As you wish. Shall I bring something back for you, my lord?/

/Hm... A slice of that cake thing you made yesterday would be nice. And one of those fizzy drinks, please./ Sebastian nodded, slipping fron his neck and dropping to the ground.

/I shall return in a moment, my lord./ The serpent hissed, slipping off through the grass, virtually invisible in the fading light of the evening. Harry smiled faintly, swinging some more as he pondered. After a moment, he looked up, catching the faint sound of voices coming towards the park. Fixing his eye-patch, he waited, listening.

Laughter, the faint sound of a crude song, and the ticking of expensive bikes. Dudley's gang. Harry snorted, watching the figures as they strolled along under the light of nearby street lamps. He could easily spot the hulking shape of his cousin, Dudley. The 15 year old was as vast as ever, though a new diet and a new talet of his had changed it from all fat to muscle AND fat. As Vernon would proudly tell anyone who could stand to listen, Dudley had become the Junior Heavyweight Inter-School Boxing Champion of the Southeast. Harry thought the title was a fancier way of saying that Dudley could legally beat on anyone who dared challenge him, and found himself amused. Dudley had used him as a punching bag more than once, in the infamous game of Harry Hunting, so it was really no wonder that the larger boy had taken to boxing. The neighborhood children were almost as terrified of Dudley as they were of 'that Potter kid', and Harry amused himself by popping up unexpectedly and taunting Dudders at every opportunity, simply because he knew that the other boy was too terrified of his wand and his new 'pet' to do anything about it.

He smirked, watching the shadowed figures cross the grass, and wondered which unfortunate kid they had beat up tonight. Maybe Steven Hammers got it tonight, or Terrance Waters. Mark Evans, he knew, had cheeked Dudley a few days ago and gotten pummeled for it. Harry snickered, wondering what dudley would do if he revealed himself. The other boys would likely jump on the chance to get him, but dudley would be too terrified of provoking Harry to do anything. What a dilemma. After a moment, he stood, brushing down the dark green button-up shirt and black jeans Sebastian had gotten him, and followed, sticking to the shadows behind the group of boys and listening curiously. He didn't worry about Sebastian, the demon would know where to find him. Darting behind a large Lilac tree, Harry waited as the group paused, sepparating to go home.

"...squealed like a pig, didn't he?" A boy named Malcom jeered, eliciting a laugh from the group.

"Nice right hook, Big D." Piers, the rat-like boy who had been Dudley's friend since Primary, sneered. Harry twitched, the boy's small nose and eyes reminding him of Wormtail for an instance.

"Same time tomorrow?" Dudley grinned, glancing around the gathering of boys.

"Round my place, my parent's are out." another boy, Gordon, answered.

"See you then." Dudley nodded, signalling for the group to disperse. The other boys wandered off, calling farewells over their shoulders as they disappeared into the gloom of Magnolia Crescent. Harry waited until the boys had all disappeared before moving from his hiding place, sauntering up to Dudley as quiet as a mouse.

"Hey, Big D!" He called, startling Dudley, who jumped as though shocked and turned.

"Oh," he grunted, frowning. "It's you."

"How long have you been 'Big D' then?" Harry asked, hands in his pockets as he came level with his cousin. Dudley glared, turning to walk again.

"Shut it." Harry snickered silently, falling into step with his bigger cousin, grinning widely.

"Cool name, but you'll always be Ickle Diddykins to me."

"I said, SHUT IT!" Dudley growled, ham-like hands curled into fists at his sides.

"Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?"

"Shut your face."

"That's frankly impossible, and beside the point, Dudders. You don't tell her to shut her face.

What about 'Popkin', and 'Dinky Diddydums,' can I use them then?" Harry refrained from laughing wildly at the look on Dudley's face. The boy looked as though it was taking all of his self-control to avoid decking Harry right then and there. Grinning, Harry walked in silence for a minute before posing another question.

"so who've you been beating up tonight? Another ten year old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago-"

"He was asking for it." Dudley snarled, shooting his smaller cousin a glare, that Harry ignored.

"Oh yeah?"

"He cheeked me." Harry couldn't resist...

"Yeah? Did he say you looked like a pig that's been taught to walk on it's hind legs? 'Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true..."

A muscle twitched in Dudley's jaw and Harry snickered to himself, bouncing lightly ont he balls of his feet as they turned down the narrow alley between Magnolia Crescent and Privet Drive. Absently, Harry remembered seeing Sirius here and smiled wider, picturing the hulking Grim-like animagus springing from a nearby bush to scare the piss out of Dudley.

"Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley asked after a few seconds silence. Harry blinked, momentarily confused.

"What thing?"

"That- that thing you're hiding." Harry grinned again, bouncing a little.

"Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I s'pose if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time..." He tapped the side of his leg, where his wand was hidden in a holster, far enough out of reach that he wouldn't be tempted to use it, but still on his person should he need it.

"You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?" Dudley snarled, watching his hands. Harry snorted.

"Whereas you need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten-year-old."

"Not this brave at night are you?" The blond pig sneered, pausing in his steps. Harry stopped, raising an eyebrow.

"This is night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this."

"I mean when you're in bed!" Harry froze, staring at his cousin, who wore a triumphant expression.

"What d'you mean, I'm not brave in bed?" He asked slowly, suspicious. "Am I supposed to be afraid of pillows or something?"

"I heard you last night, talking in your sleep. Moaning." Dudley sneered nastily.

"What d'you mean?" He asked again, stomach twisting. He had dreamt of the graveyard again, seeing that flash of green over and over, Cedric falling lifeless before his eyes, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Dudley barked out a harsh laugh and adopted a high-pitched, whimpering voice. " 'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric- your boyfriend?"

"Be careful Dudley." Harry growled, narrowing his eyes. "There are things about my world that you don't understand, and you don't want to." Dudley merely smirked, leaning forward slightly.

"Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to- Get away from me!" Harry snarled, hands balled into fists as he stalked towards Dudley, teeth bared.

"Don't. Ever. Talk about that again. Do you understand me?" He growled. Dudley backed into a wall, eyes wide.

"GET AWAY FROM-" Harry jerked away from Dudley as the boy's words died in his throat. An icy cold gripped his heart, darkness pressing against his gaze, blinding them both. For a moment, Harry thought he had done wandless magic, and almost believed it, as his wand was still tucked into it's holster. Then, he remebered where he had felt this kind of cold. He stared around struggling to see, to hear, anything.

"W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!" He snapped, reaching backwards and finding the alley wall. Frost had covered the smooth stone, unnatural at this time of year, and Harry shivered, goose bumps rising on his skin. They couldn't be here, not in Little Whinging. He scowled, listening intently and fumbling for his wand.

"C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!"

"Dudley, shut-"

WHAM!

Harry grunted, the massive fist landing on the side of his head and knocking him off his feet. He crumpled, hitting the grass in a pile of dizzy wizard, small white lights popping in his vision. He groaned, reaching up to cradle his head, ignnoring the fact that he had dropped his wand.

"You moron!" He yelled, wincing as the volume made his head throb, his eyes watering with pain. He could hear Dudley, scrambling away, hitting the fence and breathing heavily, panicked.

"Dudly, you idiot, come back! You're running right at it!"

He felt as though he had been dunked into the Black Lake, it was so cold. He heard Dudley squeal as he encountered the creature.

"Keep your mouth shut Dudley, I mean it, Keep it shut!" He yelled again, scrambling to his feet and freezing in mid-air. It felt as though death itself had grabbed at his heart, wrapping the madly beating organ in it's icey fingers and clentching. He turned, slowly, trembling with cold and disbelief.

A dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban, and among the foulest of creatures to roam the earth. A soul-sucking beast, whose only purpose was to drain the happiness out of it's victims, and if close enough, their very soul. Harry backed against the alley wall, feeling the beast draw closer, picturing it's rotted hands reaching, grasping at his throat. He felt the brush of fabric, the rattling sound of it's breath as it bent, long, skeletal fingers wrapping around his neck.

Harry struggled weakly, fighting against the screaming that he knew was in his head. He blinked, his body feeling heavier by the second as pure darkness crept across his vision. Faintly, he heard someone call out, saying a name, before he blacked out, slumping against the wall.

* * *

><p>He had felt the cold, and the terror that seemed to follow those beasts of darkness. Some could call them cousins to his kind, the soul eaters, Dementors as the wizards called them. He called them abominations, the rejected demons, those who were too weak to form a contract, to weak to survive on one soul every few centuries.<p>

Knives flashed as he stepped closer to the first, dismissing the rather large boy in the beast's boney grasp. It looked up, screeching as his knives slashed through itt's cloak, severing it's head and bisecting it's chest in a single, smooth motion. Calmly, casually, he stepped over it, red eyes fixed upon the other, the one bent over HIS master. It too looked up, tightening it's grip on the pale neck of his master, seeming to hiss at him.

"Foul creature. Have you no brains at all? He is marked. He is MINE." He growled lowly, the sound barely audible, even in the stillness that seemed to linger over the alley. The dementor hissed again, drawing Harry's limp form closer to itself, almost possessively. Sebastian's eyes glittered darkly as he put away the knives.

"Suit yourself." He answered. The movement was quick, precicse, and ever so graceful. Blood, thick, black and viscous, spurted along the wall, staining the very stone. The grass it touched died instantly, all life sucked from the fragile plants. He stood back, his master held gently in his arms, curled against his chest. Sebastian sneered at the corpse, cruel amusement flickering in the deep red of his eyes.

"And let the others know, will you? Harry Potter is mine." He turned, pausing to grab the fat boy's collar in one hand, and headed back to Number Four, dropping the lump on the doorstep and bringing Harry to his room. Gently, he tucked the small boy into the bed, smoothing sweat soaked bangs away from the scarred forehead, and smiling faintly as he shifted. Curling beside his master, he closed his eyes, a rumbling purr soothing away the boys fitful dreams.

_**M.P.O.: Would have gotten it out this morning, but I didn't have any internet due to my dear mother leaving the house and turning it off. Grrrr. Anyway, this is my longest chapter for M.D. Yet! I hope you enjoyed what I think shall be my most popular story to date, and I really hope that this chapter wasn't too long winded or boring. Personally, I think it's a bit on the iffy side, especially the end, compared to my last chapters, but that may be because I had to improvise and didn't have a basis to use for what was going on for half the chapter. Muse willing, you will have another chapter by Tuesday at the earliest and if I don't have it finished, I'll let you know. Review thanks and question answers below. **_

_**Thanks to: tamzingrace, LadyTeldra, Calmest Card, amdlara, Pinksakura200, yue14121990, xXxOtAkU-44xXx, and belle hawk, KnightlyDeathWish, FallenHope-Angel, TheSecretUchiha, ZoeyExtreme, AngeloftheHeart18, AnimeIceFox, Hippymagick, YamiIcePath, and Laurelli ; for sending the reviews that made me smile and my fingers itch to work some more.**_

_**Did Sebastian serve Ciel, or is that not going to come up?: I think I answered that in this chapter, but if you're still confused- Yes, Sebastian did serve Ciel. My fic takes place in Harry's time, which is a few hundred years after Ciel, if I'm remembering correctly.**_

_**Any sign of Grell or Undertaker?: At some point, if I can make it happen, yes those two will show up. ^_^ I can't leave out Grell at any rate, that's just asking for trouble. XD**_

_**To the person who thought 'Sebastian is a demon, demons are mean and scary, they don't do love': Sebastian has shown some forms of affection in the series, as seen by his fierce protection of Ciel and the near constant amusement he showed others. Sure, it was just because he wanted Ciel's soul, but to covet a soul that much, in my eyes, has to be some form of feeling aside from pure evil and meaness. Just my thoughts...**_

_**Does Sebastian know that Harry has an extra piece of soul in him?: Not yet, but he will in a chapter or two. Thanks for pointing it out, I had forgotten that detail.**_

_**Relationship between Harry and Sebastian?: A few of you have made comments to this effect, and I finally have a simple answer for you. There won't be an outright relationship between the two of them. As in the anime where Ciel and Sebastian had their moments, so will Harry and Sebastian. It will be vague, it will be amusing, and you can take it as you want. I cannot promise anything more than that, as every time I have tried to integrate a relationship into one of my fics, it quickly overtakes, as is seen in my first multi-chapter, Daemon Snape. I hope this answers your quiries, and I will ignore any attempts to make the relationship anything more than vague hints every now and then. As a matter of fact, for any other possible questions, there will be no pairings aside from those that formed in cannon, (without the HP/Ginny, can you say cliche? Ugh!) and even those will be vague references and won't be focused on aside from the occasional comment. **_


	4. His Butler Deceiving

_**M.P.O.: *bangs head on desk* I'm soooo sorry, there really is no excuse for how late this is. I got stuck halfway through this chapter, even with my outline, and then we got a new puppy and I had to gush over her. (Named her Lilith, if anyone's interested.) I was going to post on the26th, but I ended up out of town with family, and had no internet until the 31**__**st**__**. Urgh. I'm going to space the updates a bit to try and give myself more time to write, considering that I'm doing longer chapters now. On another note, I got my first ever reviewed threat! *dances***_

" Seimika says: *stabs authors eyes out with a fork and puts a handful of maggots where they used to be*...ok now I am content to wait alil longer_** " **_

_**All I have to say is ouch, and I'm glad you like it enough to be THAT upset that I haven't posted.**_

_**So anyway, it's late, but hopefully just as good as the last few. The response for the last chapter was great, and I hope I can get that kind of response in this one too, especially considering that it was late in getting posted. Better late and awesome than on time and rushed, ya know? *sweatdrop* Review thanks and question answers below. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy this installment of Malleus Daemonium.**_

**Chapter 3: His Butler; Deceiving.**

The next morning found Harry sitting cross legged on his bed, a breakfast tray settled on his lap, and a letter in hand. Green eyes scanned the parchment, an almost amused smirk quirking his lips upwards ever so slightly. After a minute, he set the letter down, snorting and taking a bite of the scrambled eggs Sebastian had made him this morning. Said demon looked up, red eyes glittering as he arranged a pile of freshly washed clothes.

"Your friends seem to be amusing you today, my lord."

"Astute as ever, Sebastian." Harry replied, smiling. "They seem to have caught wind of the fact that Dementors were around Little Whinging and are panicking. If Hermione is correct, and she likely is, they'll be picking me up sometime this afternoon."

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "You'll be needing your things packed away then. Would you like to keep the rags, or shall I burn them?" He gestured to the pile of hand-me-downs, faint distain coloring his words, though that ever polite smile never once changed. Harry hummed, tapping the folded letter against his chin before answering.

"Burn them. I won't be returning here next year, so I shall have no need of Dudley's cast-offs." He thought some more, then nodded. "I'll need to see about getting to Diagon. I'd like to be emancipated and legally a Lord before returning to Hogwarts. The less control Dumbledore has, the less chance I have of returning here for the summer." He made a face, pushing aside the empty tray and slipping off of the bed, picking up the neatly folded pile of clothing set aside with a towel.

"I shall plan accordingly, my lord." Sebastian bowed, resting his right hand over his heart as he opened the door. Harry shook his head, stepping into the hall and padding across to the bathroom.

That evening, after the Dursley's had left for some dinner thing with a big shot at Grunnings, Harry waited, his trunk settled at the foot of his bed, fully packed. He was dressed in black slacks that looked like jeans, with a white short sleeve shirt under a long sleeved, dark green button-up that hung open. Sebastian, for once not hiding in his sleeve, was coiled loosely around his neck, looking very much like a multi-looped scale necklace, but for the red eyes and forked tongue that made it's appearance every few seconds. He had decided that since the butler would always be around, it was better to say he had a new familiar than to keep everyone suspicious by speaking parseltongue to nothing.

After a half hour of quiet, in which Harry read quietly from one of the books Sebastian had given him on politics, three distinct thuds sounded from the backyard. Closing his book after marking the page with a silk ribbon, he stood and stepped quietly to the wide french doors that opened onto the patio. Peeking out, he noted three figures, one tall and thin, with graying brown hair and a ragged robe; another short and rather stocky, with what looked like a fake leg; and the last an unfamiliar figure with bright pink hair. The first person stepped forward, knocking quietly on the frame and waiting. Sliding the door open just a hair, Harry raised an eyebrow.

"When did I start my lessons in 3rd year?" He asked through the opening, smirking at the look of astonishment on the man's face.

"Just after the New Year, on January 6th, at 8 O'clock." Remus Lupin answered with a smile.

"What is the name of my dog and what does he resemble?"

"Snuffles looks like a Grim." Harry grinned, pulling the door open wider and letting the three in, glancing curiously at the brooms each of them held. "About time you got here, I've been going stir-crazy."

Remus grinned, pulling Harry into a short hug and ruffling his hair fondly. "You don't look like you've been bored. Jeese pup, what have you been eating?" Sebastian shifted a little, annoyed at being squished, and Remus jerked in surprise. "What's that?"

"Oh, yeah... I uh, have a new familiar. Remus, meet Sebastian." Harry grinned sheepishly, lifting a hand up so that Sebastian could slip onto it. The black cobra did so with little prompting, red eyes trained on the other two who had stepped in behind Remus. The girl with pink hair shivered, while the man, the real Mad-Eye Moody, narrowed his eyes at it.

"Ah... interesting. What is he?" Remus asked, watching Sebastian as if the deadly snake were about to bite him. Harry tilted his head, thinking, before addressing Sebastian with a small frown, ignoring the sharp gasps of surprise from the three.

_/What are you supposed to be?/_

_/An Egyptian Asp./_

_/Ah./_ He looked up, studiously ignoring the suspicious glances from Moody, and smiled. "He's an Egyptian Asp."

"Interesting." Remus replied, going silent for a moment before Moody cleared his throat, looking pointedly at Harry. "Oh, Harry, this is Mad-Eye Moody and Nymphadora Tonks. They agreed to come with me to pick you up, protection and whatnot." Tonks growled at Remus, her hair going bright red for a few seconds before fading back to it's original neon pink.

"Word of advice, NEVER call me Nymphadora. I will hex you with every pranking spell in my arsenal, and there are a lot." Tonks threatened cheerfully, narrowing her eyes at him. Harry snickered, nodding.

"Got it, Tonks." Moody snorted, limping forward and glaring at them.

"Come on boy, we haven't got all the time in the world. We need to get you out of here before those relatives of yours show up." The scarred man growled, electric blue eyes spinning wildly in it's socket. Harry nodded, then frowned, tilting his head.

"My trunk's in my room... Where are we going? And how are we getting there?"

* * *

><p>After flying over most of Britain for an hour, his hands freezing to the handle of his Firebolt, and his teeth chattering a mile a minute, Harry decided that he was going to hex whoever's idea it was to do so, when such things as Apparition and Portkey were available. Hell, he would have preffered the Knight Bus over the chilling ride through 30degree clouds with an extremely annoyed serpent coiled in the warmest place he could find- never mind that Sebastian was a demon and could have become something with better tolerance to the colder atmosphere. The black snake insisted that it was merely because Harry could understand him in this form and to change would instigate questions that would be difficult to answer.<p>

Remus, having landed first, shook his shoulders out and unhooked Harry's trunk from it's harness. Moody, stumping around and grumbling under his breath, shoved a grubby peice of paper into Harry's hand, instructing him to 'read, memorize, burn.' Sebastian, poking his head of of Harry's sleeve, inspected the spiky writing with a critical eye.

_/I know of this place... The Black family home. Nasty bunch, as I recall._/ Harry snorted, thinking of the stories Sirius had told him.

_/Nasty indeed. Sirius isn't so bad though. A little bonkers, but that's expected after 12 years in Azkaban./_ Harry replied, shrugging a little and watching the house expand from between it's counterparts. A black metal gate popped into place and Remus smirked, pulling Harry's trunk behind him as he swung it open, gesturing for Harry to go first.

The door was grimy, covered in years of filth and grit. Only the door handle and knocker seemed untouched, both made to look like silver serpents with emerald eyes that seemed to watch him as he stepped closer. Moody, reaching past him, lightly tapped his wand on the door, muttering a string of latin. Creaking softly, the thick wood swung open, revealing a dark hallway, coated with cobwebs; the walls fairly dripping with gloom and madness. Harry blinked, seeing something affixed to the walls on either side, like the mounted animal heads he had seen in some places. Only once he had stepped inside, closer to one of them, did he realize that they were house-elf heads, set on dark wooden backs with a small bronze plate with the elf name and years of service written on it. Ignoring Sebastian's dark mutterings about how unclean the whole place was, he eyed a few of them, noting that none of them had under 50 years of service.

'Hermione would throw a fit if she saw this...' He mused, continuing down the hall, subconsciously staying as quiet as he could. Gas lamps lit with a soft hiss, casting a dim glow over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet. A cobwebbed chandelier hung in the center of the long hallway, the silver metal twisted and curved, appearing to be snakes twining their way across each other.

Footsteps announced the arrival of Mrs. Weasley, the plump red head beaming at them as she slipped from a door at the end of the hall. Harry smiled back as she pulled him into a tight hug, ignoring Sebastian's sudden bout of annoyed hissing as he was made to move again, the demon snake slipping back up to coil around his master's neck.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" She whispered, eyeing him critically and looking a bit surprised. "You've filled out some dear, and you look so nice!" She smiled, plucking at the sleeve of his shirt, oblivious to the red eyes watching her from the folds of his collar. Before he could answer, she had turned and was whispering to the other three. "He's just arrived, the meeting's started..." Harry blinked, making to follow as Remus, Tonks, and Moody made noises of interest and headed for the door, only to be held back by Mrs. Weasley, who gave him an apologetic look.

"No, Harry, the meeting's only for members of the Order. Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you can wait with them until the meeting's over and then we'll have dinner. And keep your voice down in the hall," She whispered to him, leading him down the hallway to a set of stairs, skirting past a pair of moth-eaten curtains and an ugly looking Umbrella stand that Harry swiftly identified as a severed trolls leg.

"I'll just show you to where you're sleeping." Harry followed, running a hand over Sebastian's cool scales as they stepped lightly up the stairs, amused by how quiet everything was. He suspected that something would start yelling, or maybe explode, should anyone talk above a whisper. He wondered how on earth Fred and George had managed it.

"Here you are dear. Ron and Hermione will explain everything, I've got to dash." She smiled, patting his shoulder, and hurried off again, leaving him to stare at the door.

_/You are nervous, my lord?/_

_/Not nervous, no... Just... a little upset. They've both been here together for who knows how long, and I was stuck back at the Dursley's. Granted, this vacation has been better than my last ones, but still. They left me out, and I don't like it./_

_/Maybe they were told not to tell you? Can you blame them for listening to the adults? You won't know their side of things until you go in, my lord./_

_/You're right, as always./_ Harry smirked, scratching under Sebastian's chin before taking a deep breath, steeling himself and grabbing the doorknob. He caught a brief glimpse of a high ceiling, twin beds, and a rather gloomy atmosphere before a mass of bushy brown hair obscured his view. He could hear excited twittering, which indicated Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, circling overhead.

"HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you alright? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless- but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us- the Dementors! When we heard- and the Ministry not doing anything- it's just outrageous!"

"Let him breathe, Hermione," Ron snickered, closing the door behind Harry. The red head had grown taller, standing several more inches higher than Harry, though the brilliant red hair and freckles were the same as ever. Hermione let him go, beaming, and as she stepped back, a mass of white soared towards him, landing on his shoulder with a soft hoot. Harry smiled, raising a hand to stroke her feathers, only to blink at Hermione, who had been staring at his collar.

"What?"

"Harry... why is there a snake around your neck?" She asked slowly. Harry bit his lip, the picture of insecurity, and looked down, catching a glimpse of Sebastian as he moved across his neck, tightening his coils ever so slightly.

"I got a familiar over the summer, to help with my...er... blind spot. His name is Sebastian."He finally answered, keeping his uncovered eye glued to the black scales, pointedly ignoring the faintly hissed laugh at his act. Hermione frowned slightly while Ron, staring incredulously, edged around to stand behind the bushy haired girl.

"I get the need for another familiar mate, but a snake? That's like... I dunno, Slytherin!" Harry frowned.

"Having a snake isn't a sign of instant evil, Ron, and yes I know that's what you're thinking." He spat, glaring. "I chose a snake as my familiar because I can talk to him. What's the point of having something to help me see if I can't understand it anyway?"

Hermione bit her lip, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, undecided. Harry could tell that she was torn between adhereing to the belief that snakes are Dark no questions asked, and the logical explanation Harry had given. It amused him somewhat to see Hogwarts' brightest Witch confused. Ron on the other hand, merely scowled, his face reddening slowly.

"Parseltongue's the mark of a Dark Wizard, Harry. By having a snake familiar, you're letting all the other Dark Wizards know that you can speak it, and making them think you're on their side, and that's dangerous! Unless..."

"Unless what, Ronald?" Harry's gaze narrowed, green eyes like chips of jade as they focused on the red head.

"Ron, don't-" Hermione started, only to be cut off by the suspicious Weasley.

"Unless you're going dark!"

Harry stared at his long time friend, eyes wide in disbelief. He had known that his friend was quick to judge, and tended to speak without thinking, but he never expected that the red head would have accused his best friend of going dark. 'One of the perks of being the Boy-Who-Lived.' He mused, lowering his gaze. Ron looked triumphant, while Hermione was wide-eyed and white with shock.

"I suppose you could have a point, Weasley." Harry started, keeping his gaze on Sebastian. "An entirely unfounded, narrowminded, idiotic point of view, but a point of view nonetheless." He looked up, pinning Ron with an icey glare. "Since you seem to think I'm turning against all that you have been told, I shall take my leave. Feel free to change your mind, and if you do, please crawl back to beg my forgiveness." He spat, turning for the door and looking back once.

"I can assure you it won't be so easy to gain." He sneered, borrowing Malfoy's favorite expression and exiting the room in a few swift steps. Leaning against the wall, he took a calming breath, easing into the meditative steps he had been using for a month now.

"There you are!" Harry jumped, opening his uncovered eye to stare at the owner of the voice, one Sirius Orion Black, his Godfather and technical Lord of the House of Black. Technical because, well... he was an escaped prisoner. Innocent, but escaped all the same.

"Sirius!" He crowed happily, leaping forward to hug the man, enjoying the feeling of strong arms catching him and hugging back. The blue eyed man laughed, a bark-like noise reminiscent of his animagus form, and ruffled his hair fondly, tipping his head back a little to frown at the eye-patch.

"Poppy couldn't heal it, could she? Ah well. Moony tells me you have a new pet, though he refrained from saying what it was. Let's see it!" The older man bounced a little, blue eyes eager, and Harry laughed, lifting a hand to brush Sebastian's scales.

"Yes, I have a familiar now. His name is Sebastian." He answered softly, smiling fondly at the smooth black scales. He didn't look back up, afraid that Sirius too would condemn him for having such a creature. He was surprised when, instead of spouting how wrong it was, the man bent closer, examining Sebastian critically.

"Good choice kiddo. Perfect for you really, with that blind spot and all."

"You- you're not mad at me?" He asked, glancing at Sirius through his bangs, green eyes wide. Sirius chuckled softly, ruffling already messy hair.

"Course not. Why would you think that?"

Harry looked down, shuffling his feet. "Well... Ron said it was bad. I just thought..."

"That I'd be the same way? Nah, I don't care about that pup. I'd be a right horrible godfather if I cared about stuff like that." Sirius waved a hand, as if to dismiss the very notion, and tapped his chin.

"Right, I was supposed to get you. Dumbledore would like a word with you about the dementors." He made a face, obviously remembering something better forgotten, and shook his head. Harry frowned.

"There's not much to tell." Sirius shrugged, turning to head for the stairs.

"You'll have to tell that to him, I guess. He won't listen to me."

Harry sighed, following after and pondering what he was going to say.

* * *

><p>Everyone was staring at him, some with awed expressions, others with curiosity, and even one with disdain, though that last one wasn't unusual. Shifting uncomfortably, He kept his gaze lowered, avoiding the twinkling blue eyes of the leader of this little party. They had been questioning him for around an hour now, going over every tiny scrap of information they could get and generally annoying the teenaged Savior to no end. He wanted to go get some sleep dammit, why couldn't they shut the bloody hell up already?<p>

"...were obliterated!" Someone was saying. The bright green hair and violet eyes gave her away as Tonks, the woman who had come to get him earlier that day. "One of them was in pieces and the other was splattered all over the wall!" She continued, gesturing wildly. Dumbledore, fingers laced in front of his chin, merely nodded, having heard all of it already.

"Yes Nymphadora, you've told us the details already. What I am still curious about it how this happened. Harry...?"

He sighed, resisting the rather powerful urge to bash his head into the table and be done with it.

"For the last time, I don't know what did it. I was unconscious at the time and obviously don't know anything. I woke up in bed the next morning with a splitting headache and no idea how I had gotten home. That's all I can tell you." He answered, irritated. Sebastian hissed a soft laugh and looped around his neck again, enjoying the stifled whimper from some woman across the table. He had been doing it periodically while they were there, finding it amusing that the woman seemed to forget that there was a deadly viper wrapped snugly around their savior's neck. Harry enjoyed it too, it was simply too funny not to. "If you're going to be finished soon, I'd rather like to get some sleep. Long day and all that." He stifled a yawn to prove his point and rested his chin on his arms.

Dumbledore sighed, pulling his hands apart and nodding slowly.

"Very well, Harry. If you're sure that there is nothing else you can tell us, you may go."

"Thank you, Professor." He stood, stretching carefully, and made for the door as fast as propriety would allow, then headed up the stairs to look for a room. He wasn't going to share one with Ron, not while the boy was being an idiot, nor did he want to share with anyone really.

_/Didn't you pack a light meal in my trunk?/_ He asked Sebastian, poking his head into a doorway, only to pull back when faced with a small study and continue on his way.

_/I did. It should be at the top, in the wicker basket, young master./_

_/Thank you./_ He smiled, pushing open another door and finding a small bedroom with dusty green sheets and a four poster silver bed frame with thick black curtains. Sebastian hissed in distaste, slipping down and morphing as soon as the door was closed.

"Absolutely deplorable." The demon sniffed, red eyes roving the room. Harry nodded, settling his trunk at the end of the bed and opening it, grabbing the small basket of food.

"I suspect that Sirius' family has long passed. And with him being in Azkaban for 12 years, it's no wonder the house is a mess. He hates this place, so far as I'm aware."

"I would imagine so." Sebastian replied, pulling a pair of night clothes from the trunk as he spoke and setting them on top of it with a clean towel. "Might I suggest a warm bath while I tidy up, my lord?"

"May as well. I need to find a way to get to Diagon later, and the Ministry." He replaced the basket, having eaten the sweet snack inside, and grabbed his clothes, heading for the door. "Oh, sneak around some tonight, would you? I want to see what the Black's had in the way of a library." Sebastian smiled pleasantly, bowing.

"Of course, master."

_**M.P.O.: Alright, I reaaaaaaaaally hope I did OK on this one. Sebastian's actions have changed things sooner than I expected. Baaaad Butler, Bad. XD I didn't get as far as I wanted in this one (I had wanted to get him to the ministry somehow, but need to figure out how to do that), but I wanted to get it posted before going seriously over my deadline. That and my space bar has decided to be glitchy on me. *sweatdrop* With any luck, you'll have your next update by September 13th at the earliest, the end of the month reasonably or whenever I can bloody finish it otherwise. XD. Anywho, review thanks and Question Answers below. **_

_**Thanks to: FallenHope-Angel, PinkSakura200, beautiful crime, Alaziel, Barrel of Monkeys, Kage 5243, Silver Ghost, hedwigfan, tamzingrace, xXxOtAkU-444xXx, AnimeIceFox, SensiblyTainted, Lady Teldra, YamiIcepath, GenoBeast, Angelus, TristaDin, SilverDragon-Purity, Almecestris, Sara132, Tsuki Yosuke, SelenaWolf, Mistress Sayu, momocolady, swexe, Touch of the Wind, Lady No Da 201, Grasping Insanity, mabidiso, SethMaxwell06, and raisuke134; for some truely wonderful reviews. The praise I get for being the most original HP/Kuro fic is simply astounding. I'm ever so glad that I can stay original in my idea's. Gives one a tingly feeling of power, it does!**_

_**Now to address some questions and concerns you reviewers had.**_

_**Will Umbridge be there?: Oh yes, I plan on having lots of fun with the toad. Don't worry.**_

_**Turning Harry into a Ciel clone by giving him the Phantomhive Estate...: I do not plan on having Harry a Ciel clone, don't worry. If you'll notice, he only read the document, he never signed it, and he said he'd think about it. In either case, Harry isn't going to the be 'Queen's Dog', mostly because he has his own thing to worry about and I don't want to think up complicated crime scenes and stuff. So yes, Harry will be taking control of the Estates, but in title only, Sebastian (during the random moments in which he is not with Harry) will be taking care of all of that, minus being the Queen's Watchdog, as that's a little too old of a practice to be used anymore. I won't be writing all that out though, so use your imagination.**_

_**Sebby's reaction to Crookshanks?: That poor poor cat...*evil grin***_

_**Harry seems a little darker than in cannon...: He is, to an extent. My version of Harry is cultivated from years of reading HP fandom, debates on the nature of magic as seen in cannon (which is so vague that it leaves a lot of room for elaboration) and a lot of my own personality mixed with the characteristics I've felt would be good for him. So, while being a figurehead of the 'Light', my Harry will be a Neutrally alligned Wizard. He won't use Dark magic as consistently as light or grey magic, but the effect of his studying for the Third Task and his subsequent Contract have made him a little more open to the darker side of life. Besides, I rather like an Intelligent Harry vs the Niaeve Harry in cannon.**_

_**My view on demons: I had someone ask how I viewed the demons used in this story, being that I said that theoretically they could show such emotions as affection or love... To put it simply, my version of the Demons like Sebastian or Claude are more humanoid than your average devil horns and cleft hooved demons. They're supposed to be kind of like the Aristocracy in the Demon realm (something I made up to explain Seb's reaction to the Dementors and their similarities in the last chapter), and so have the ability to pose as a human for whatever reason they wish. They can feel and display all the emotions of a human, but because they are NOT human, the way they show these emotions are different. Sebastian for instance, always has a smile on his face, no matter if he is irritated with something, amused, or just plain indifferent. The most annoyed he's ever looked in the series (that I can remember), is a slight frown on occasion. Claude, in Kuroshitsuji II, frowns an aweful lot, and narrows his eyes to show irritation or annoyance. Also, because they aren't human, it takes a lot more to elicit an angry or annoyed emotion than in a normal human. Such emotions as love or affection aren't directed at the person they're bound to, say with Harry and Sebastian, but rather to the Soul itself, which the demon will eventually consume. I don't know about you, but I certainly love and adore a good Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo... XD. I think I explained that right. Lol, if you have a question, just PM or review it, and I'll attempt to clarify for you. **_

_**Since at this point Harry has two souls in him, does that mean he could barter Voldie Moldy's when the contract is complete instead of his own?**__** : As interesting an idea as that is, I'm afraid that's a no. The Contract was that Harry would give up his soul to get rid of Voldemort, which means all of Voldemort. I have yet to figure out exactly what Sebastian is going to do once he figures out that Harry has a soul piece in him.**_

_**Is Sebastian still toting around silverware?: Would he be Sebastian without it? No! So, yes, he is. *smirk***_

_**Ciel leaving any other surprises for Harry?: I'm unsure. If anyone has any idea's about what Ciel could have left, aside from his story or advice, I'd be glad to take them into consideration. **_

_**Will Harry tell his friends?: I have no clue what Harry is going to do about all that just yet. For now, he plans to keep it to himself, like any good little semi-Slytherin would. XD Who knows though, that could change. **_

_**Master of Death?: Hahahahahahahahaha, we'll get to that when it comes around, don't worry my dear dear reader. *cackles evilly***_

_**I also have an answer for those confused about why Harry still has Voldemort's soul piece in his head. It's simple, really. Being that he set up the ritual with the intent of dying for a purpose (getting the Contract), the 'selfless sacrifice' version of events that played out in the book was not a part of his. He sacrificed himself, FOR himself, with the intent of making the contract or dying in the process. The Avada, being a spell meant for death and containing death 'energies' as it were, merely acted as a power boost for the ritual, sparking it into life and giving it the necessary magic to push Harry into the demon world. This also leaves Harry with the ability to speak Parseltongue, AND to have the visions, which as we know were an important part of the 5**__**th**__** book. Also... frankly: because I wanted him to. And my creative liscense bumper sticker give me the authority to do so, so NYAH! *giggles***_

_**Harry seems to have accepted Sebastian too easily?: I didn't think it came off like that, but OK. You may want to note that Harry made the contract on June 24**__**th**__** according to the HPLexicon. He sent Sebastian off to gather information and Sebastian came back to him about a week into his summer vacation. Now, the book said they had a month after the task, in which the students took exams and Harry lazed around (correct me if I'm wrong) and in the second chapter, I said that there was a month left of school before Harry would head home. Thus, Harry had approximately 4-5 weeks to digest everything and get over his awkwardness about having the contract in the first place.**_

_**On a last note in the obscenely looooooong AN, I now have a twitter account where you can follow me and how i'm doing on any of my fics at the time. You can also post things you might like to see in said fics, and other little things. Link is in my Profile. Oh, and here's that Omake from the false chapter 4 that I posted so ffn wouldn't bitch. Someone said I should keep it, so here you go!**_

**OMAKE:**

Dudley Dursley was sitting in the living room, piggy little eyes glued to the TV while his hand move automatically, shoving large chunks of rich chocolate cake into the chasm that served as his mouth. His rather large rear end was on the verge of obliterating the cushion beneath him, the poor thing was squashed nearly flat by the large boy's weight. Harry, sitting nearby, stared in revolted amazement as three bags of chips, two plates of cake, a carton of ice cream, and five sausages disappeared into his cousin's gullet. He wasn't even sure if the obese boy could taste what he was eating, much less enjoy it.

"You're a fat fatty aren't you?" He blinked, clapping a hand over his mouth in horror. The words had slipped out, completely without his authorization, but there it was. Dudley paused in his motions, blue eyes flickering to green before resting on the television again. Sebastian, lounging on his shoulder, hissed in amusement.

/Beauty is only skin deep, my lord./

"Well it's a deep search for him then. Isn't it, Fatty?" Once again, the words slipped out, not even in parseltongue as he had expected. Dudley didn't react, though the intake of food seemed to have slowed minutely.

"Once you get under the skin nothing else matters, though that could be because I'd be suffocating on all the fat. I'll bet you can't even see your toes, can you? What about your thigh? Belly button? Those moobs get in the way, do they?" Harry was near mad with wild giggles, barely able to talk, even though he tried his best to stop the flow of words. It was as though some outside force had taken control of his mouth and was using it to spout whatever nonsense it could find to toss into reality. Sebastian, the usually calm demon snake, was twitching faintly, carefully restraining any sign of his mirth, though it still looked like the black cobra was having a fit.

Dudley, finally realizing he was being talked at, if not to, looked over, pudgy face set in a scowl of annoyance.

"What're you on about, freak? You're interrupting my show."

Harry tried not to, he really did...

"Oh it's alright, go back to the show. Just do me one favor... Bend over a little so I can scrape off some of that fat. I've got a craving for Fatty bacon." It was unsurprising that Dudley, having turned back to the TV already, turned in his chair, blue eyes wide with greed.

"Bacon?"

"Oh yes, tons of it, right the under those voluptuous back moobs, Fatty." Harry was glad that he was skinny and fast, else Dudley's reaction surely would have hurt. The huge boy had leapt from his seat- well heaved would be a better word, Harry could have sworn the chair shrieked in agony at least- and pounded after his smaller cousin. Sebastian, hissing wildly, looped his coils more securely and held on while Harry ran, darting around his cousin and out the door, away from Number Four. Dudley, winded, sat back down and resumed his feasting, soon forgetting about his cousin as he gorged himself.

Elsewhere, in a living room far far away, a lone writer giggled madly, adding the finishing touches to a truly obscene work. Idly petting the soft fur of a brown puppy, she gleefully pressed the save button.


	5. His Butler Investigating

_**M.P.O.: Well look at this, I'm not dead after all! Happy New Year everyone, welcome to the End of Days! Alright, humor over, I have to say that I'm terribly sorry. I meant to update in October, but I completely lost my focus. First it was trying to figure out how to get Harry to the Ministry, then wondering why I had wanted him to go to the Ministry in the first place, and after that it kinda dropped from my 'things to work on NOW' list. (8-Bit Game Characters and Pokemon with Perler Beads. *fist bump!*) But I'm back now, no telling how long for, and currently have nothing to do other than search for housing for rent, or read fifteen hundred pages of ffn. (Erm, litererally, I have that much stuff bookmarked in my To-read- file. -_-') So I decided to read over what I had, and try to get a sort-of outline for this chapter going while I was at my mothers, then actually writing it once I had my book again. ^_^ As usual, Review Thanks and Question Answers in the AN below. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 4: His Butler, Investigating**

As soon as Harry had emerged from his shower he had gone to bed, snuggled into the miraculously clean sheets and drifting off rather swiftly. Sebastian, quiet as a mouse, slid from the room and set about, prowling around the house and sneering with distain at all of the filthy rooms. He was searching for something, or rather someone, in particular, one he knew had to be around. After fifteen minutes, he had found his quarry.

"Nasty, filthy blood-traitors, besmirching Mistresses' nice furnishings." The thing grumbled, peering darkly around a corner at Mrs. Weasley as she checked on each of the children to be sure they were sleeping. A white gloved hand slid over the creature's mouth, silencing it and pulling it backwards into a vacant room in the same smooth motion.

"Good evening. So sorry to have startled you, but I was wondering whether you had a brain left in your head, or if it had gone the way of it's former employers." Sebastian inquired smoothly, halting any and all protests the creature had started to spew as soon as he had released it.

"Disgusting halfbreed! Setting your pet on poor Kreacher, when he has done nothing wrong. Foul, evil little brats; loud, ugly, and Light-"

"That's quite enough of that, thank you." He sighed quietly. Clearly the house-elf was out of it's mind. "Kreacher, is it?"

The elf finally looked up, mouth open to spew more hate filled dialougue, only to freeze, wide bloodshot eyes locked with Sebastian's own crimson red ones. He stared for a full minute, frozen in shock, then threw himself forward, flattening himself on the floor before the demon, careful to keep a full foot away from the shiny black shoes.

"Soul Eater, Hell Servant and Great Master! Forgive this Kreacher his utterings! He knew not to whom he spoke!" The elf babbled, keeping his nose pressed flat to the floor. Sebastian shifted his weight, smirking in amusement. Seems someone remembered his kind after all.

"Do try to be a little quieter, will you? The Wizards know not of whom I am, and it shall remain that way until my Master wishes it."

"Of course, Demon Lord! What is it that you require of this lowly servant?"

"For one, I want you to cease you mutterings, at least about my Master. The others are free game, I cannot ask you to stay quiet about those outside of my control. Also, the Ancient and Moste Noble house of Black is in absolute disrepair. Shameful, really. Starting with the upstairs, I would like every room restored to it's former appearance, as it was when your Masters resided within it's walls. I shall be keeping my Master's room in order, and you are not to step inside without his permission."

"Yes, my Lord! Kreacher shall do as he is told, he will!" The elf bounced, the filthy cloth about his waist fluttering with the movement. After a moment of celebration, Kreacher paused, appearing nervous. "Might Kreacher ask something of the Great Demon Lord?"

"Yes." Sebastian's eyebrow rose just a little.

"Kreacher was given a locket by young Master Regulus before he passed. Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to destroy it, and Kreacher tried everything, but it remains! A great Demon like my Lord would be able to do what Kreacher has not, and rid the world of the foul thing, if he so wished?" The elderly elf's hands twisted in distress, though he refrained from howling the words, keeping to the quiet murmurs they had been conversing in. Sebastian eyed the elf, curious as to what such an object might be, if House-elf magics could not destroy it. finally he nodded.

"Bring it to me, and I shall destroy it for you, so long as you hold your word and restore the House of Black to it's former glory."

"Kreacher will! Kreacher swears!" There was a soft pop as the elf disappeared, and another as it returned, clutching a large golden locket in it's fingers. Sebastian took it, eyeing the engraved metal, and his eyes widening in faint surprise.

Made of gold, and engraved with the likeness of several small snakes, the locket was large and clunky, something made as a statement of wealth rather than of beauty. A larger serpent wound over the front, making a stylized 'S' shape against the smooth back. But that was merely the appearance. No, something far more interesting held his attention at the moment. Tantalizing and sweet, yet dark and cloying, the magic that clung to the locket invaded his senses, alien to him, but achingly familiar at the same time. Whatever was held within the locket was darker than Dark, magic so black that it nearly made him purr with pleasure. Tucking the locket in his pocket for more examination later, he nodded to the elf, dismissing it in silence, before resuming his wanderings.

* * *

><p>Mrs. Black was never one to tolerate filth, whether it was dirt on her shoes, or blood-traitors and mudbloods in her home. The abundance of Light Wizards filling her sanctuary had driven her nearly insane, so enraged with the sheer disrespect towards her home and servants was she. Poor Kreacher was punished if he looked at them wrong, and they constantly tried to remove family Heirloons from their places. It was blasphamy! And so she raged, screeching and hollering at all of the foul despots cluttering her halls.<p>

The nights were fairly quiet, with all of the noisy children in bed, and the adults either gone or in bed as well. Her curtains hung open, the moth eaten linens hanging limply against the frame of her portrait. Dozing fitfully against the side of her frame, she did not notice the one creeping along the hall at first. Only when he passed in front of her portrait did she open her eyes, fully prepared to make the braggart's ears bleed with a nice long shriek.

Crimson eyes glittered out of a pale face, a single gloved finger raised to thin lips in a hushing gesture. She paused, slightly confused. This one did not look like any of the others invading her home, though he did seem to have similar taste to that Dark young fellow, Snape. He was tall, she could tell, clad all in black, and elegantly thin, with a starch white shirt the only other spot of color. He looked similar to one of those Muggle servants she had seen before, helping a young man into one of those awful machines. A butler? What on earth was a butler doing in her home?

"I must ask that you refrain from screaming, Madam Black. It would not do to wake the Wizards and alert them to my presence." It spoke, startling her. It's voice was low, pitched in a clear but quiet murmur, and the tone was so sinfully seductive that she nearly fell out of her frame. It was a voice that screamed Darkness, and sent tingles of fear and desire through her spine.

"Since you asked so nicely." She replied finally, regarding the creature, for it was no wizard, nor man, with poorly veiled curiosity. "I must know though, what you are doing in my home."

"Merely obeying the orders of my Master, my Lady. Might I be so bold as to say that you have a most lovely voice, when not screeching insults at the lowly Light Wizards?" He all but purred, the same polite smile never leaving the fey-like face. Walburga flushed lightly, covering a small smile with her fingertips and blinking coyly back at him.

"You may say whatever you wish, good sir. What is your name, and who is your master, so that I can compliment him on his choice of servants?"

"Sebastian Michaelis, Madam, serving the Heir of the Ancient and Moste Noble House of Potter, Harry James Potter." Her eyes widened, first from the name, which she knew all too well, and the name of his master. The demon, for that was what it was, had bowed at the waist, one hand placed over it's breast as decorum demanded, straightening after a few seconds.

"It has been a long time since I've heard that name. Young Mr. Potter is far more interesting than I had previously thought, if he is daring enough to employ your particular talents. Were you searching for anything in particular?" She raised her head a little, quietly contemplating this new information. Sebastian smiled once more, nodding.

"I was searching for the Library. My master has some work that needs to be completed, and wished to use the expansive collection gathered here to fully cover the questions asked of him." He replied smoothly, brushing a piece of lint from the lapels of his jacket.

"The Main Library is on the second floor, third door down. It contains the safest tomes in our collection. If your Master wishes access to the more dangerous ones, you will have to come speak with me again. Otherwise the secret to it's location stays with me." She smiled, half-hoping that the young Potter would ask. It wasn't often that she had a conversation with anyone that wasn't full of insults and screeching.

"I thank you for your help Madam Black, and bid you a good night. Please, let no one know of my presence here." She nodded, watching in awe as the demon slid backwards out of sight, disappearing into the shadows of the hall. All too soon her was gone from her sight, and she hummed quietly, tapping her lips with a finger and smiling just a little, considering the changes that the young Potter could bring about with a demon such as Sebastian Michaelis on his side.

_**M.P.O.: Wow... I didn't outline any of that. Sebastian wanted some spotlight and hijacked my keyboard. I lost my momentum though, and decided to post this much, and try to get a longer chapter out next time. Hope you liked it, I stayed up waaaaaaay past my bedtime to get it out to you all. I can't promise when the next chapter will be done, you'll just have to bear with me. My writings come when inspiration strikes, so it's fairly random as far as updates go. **_

_**Review thanks go to: Carrie2sky, Niwaki, Shinkashinko, swexe, Sharmaine C, Minah, Siphecto, Celebwen Telcontar, In The Mix, Lady Icicle, Firemockingjay, Moka-girl, the dark euphie, Blue-Starlight92, Jessica Mack, enchanted nightingale, Syrena Li, Wragziez, Inumaru12, berkie88, DanteNotolli, YueLilianPotter, mist shadow, Death'sFavoriteInsaneMurderer, Bookits, RoseThorn81, PoisonsOrchid, Tsuki Yosuke, ImploringIdeal, Dweiathecat, Pinksakura200, ChocolateBunnyChan, TristaDin, moreativan, BlackRain-BlackBlood, CH0C0CANDYZ, Ciel Black018, iii, Don'tWannaKnowMe, Sacuna, ravenknight118, Keitsu Han'ei, NewBlueTrue, CrimsonLuna, valkeri4071, Shadow Eclipse, akatsuki-tenshi-kitsune, mabisdo, Kage 5243, Yamiicepath, Ireadtomuch, Touch of the Wind, tamzingrace, Asherit, Carad-Ithil, Pebby, Seimika, Ninggay, My Solitude, Grasping Insanity, AnimeIceFox, FallenHope-Angel, xXxOtAkU-44xXx, Anny Non Mous, Silvermane1, and Riku Lupo. **_

_***wipes forehead* Whew! That's a lot of names! Thanks everyone! You've all given M.D. the highest number of reviews out of any of my fics, a total of 139 as of the posting of this chapter with an additional 16,485 hits, 20 C2s, 258 Faves, and 363 Alerts!**_

_**I find myself diviating more from Cannon that I had originally thought I would. xD I think it's a good thing. ^_^ Question Answers below:**_

_**Interaction between Harry and Sebastian: They've had an entire month together, working out Harry's lessons and training, and Harry getting used to Sebastian in general. Not to mention Harry had an entire month before that to get used to the idea of what exactly he had set himself into. Of course they're accustomed to each other. **_

_**Undertaker and Grell: Undertaker may be in the next chapter, if I can get my muses to work that way. If not undertaker, then Grell will make an appearance. **_

_**Ron's reaction: A necessary evil, I assure you. While I'm not fond of Ron in general, his reactions provide a nice demonstration of the way most of the 'Light' side would view Harry's new position. It is partly his reaction, and Harry's responses, that get the other characters thinking the way I need them to. He'll come around eventually.**_

_**Manipulative Dumbles?: Ah, Albus. Another character I'm not overly fond of. He meddles around far too much for my taste. But, as with Ron, he has his uses. I don't know yet how meddlesome he will be, it is up to my muses and the rare boost of inspiration to decide. **_

_**Inheritances from Ciel?: Though Harry will be considered the 'Earl of House Phantomhive', it is in title and wealth only. I'm not even going to attempt to delve into the subtle nuances of Ciel's dealings, nor am I going to touch on his estate or the task given him by the Queen. Harry is NOT Ciel, nor shall I attempt to make him such. **_

_**Pairing: Last time I shall respond to this particular question, as I've said it several times. No. No Pairing for Harry. Not with Sebby, not with Ginny, not with Romilda Vane. No one is going to be able to get that close to him, not while he knows that as soon as Voldemort is dead, his soul is forfeit. **_

_**Sebastian's reaction to the various cats?: Wait and see. Just wait and see. *evil giggles***_

_**Telling his friends about the contract?: Unlikely. Being that it's particularly Dark Magic, and that he's losing his soul in the process, Harry doesn't want anyone to find out unless he can help it. **_

_**Draco's reaction to the new Harry?: Oh that's gonna be a fun one. xD**_

_**The slightly formal way Harry speaks sometimes?: A product of his lessons with Sebastian. He's being trained in ettiquete and manners so that he's able to react with them at the proper times. He'll get out of it as soon as he gets relaxed again. **_

_**What's Harry's view on Sebastian taking life?: Seeing as the only thing Sebby's killed so far has been Dementors, he doesn't know yet. Once Sebastian does kill in front of him, whether to protect him, or under orders to do so, then you shall have the answer to that. **_

_**Severus as a demon?: Hahaha, interesting, but alas, no. Severus shall remain human, so that I can mess with him to my heart's content. ^.^**_

_**Harry's new attitude: Yes it diviates from Cannon. In Cannon, Harry was blind to Dumbledore's manipulations, rushed headlong into danger without thinking of the consequences, and foolishly naieve. I do not like Cannon Harry. He was supposed to be put into Slytherin for a reason, and by golly I'm dragging that side of him out now. You have to realize, at the start of this fic (During the Triwizard Tournament), Harry had been tucked up in the library, reading anything and everything he could get his hands on in order to try and survive the Third Task. He found several books on magical theory, books with slightly darker spells, and various other things that slowly changed his point of view on the Light vs Dark issue. Harry is and will be a Gray Wizard. The Contract is one of the Darkest Magics known to Wizards because it entails the sacrifice of one's own soul for the servitude of a Demon. There is no way in hell that Harry would remain 'Light' and Gryffindorish with all of these factors in place. **_

_**Sebastian back in Butler form after Harry takes the titles of Lord?: Not during school, but during the summer, more likely, seeing as I plan on getting him FAR away from the Dursley's.**_

_**Umbridge?: Good things come to those who wait, my dear readers.**_

_**Whew, now that that's all done, I shall bid you all goodbye, and hop off to finish sorting my beads. Happy New Year!**_


	6. His Butler Arranging

_**M.P.O.: Wow! The response for my last, admittedly short, chapter was amazing. Thank you all! I won't bother with a bunch of chatter, so here you go!**_

Chapter 5: His Butler; Arranging

The morning after Harry's arrival at Number Twelve was full of awed chatter from its current residents. Gone was the gloomy atmosphere, the cobwebs and dust that lingered in every corner. The Doxies, Boggarts, spiders, mice, and even a nest of pixies had been shooed out of the Black home. The lamps were bright, the glass panes clean and clear, and the wicks fresh with new oil to keep them burning. All of the linens were clean and fresh, the beds made, and curtains hung in their rightful places. The kitchen was spotless, the fireplace cleared of ash, and a fresh pot of Floo powder sitting in its place on the Mantle. The occupants were amazed, and somewhat wary, wondering about the sudden change. Mrs. Weasley in particular was near speechless, and had been gently guided to a chair with a cup of tea to sip while she stared around the room.

In his room, Harry hadn't noticed any of this, his attention caught up in an attempt to finish his Potion's homework while Sebastian lay curled on the windowsill, contemplating something. His own room was spotless, all of his belongings unpacked and in their places, neatly put away and stored, a testament to Sebastian's skills, being that the demon had managed it in a mere half hour the night before.

Huffing quietly, Harry shoved his glasses farther up his nose, his eye-patch hanging around his neck, and scrawled another line onto his rough essay. Sebastian had all but demanded that he have two copies of his work, one a rough draft in his sloppily scrawled writing, and another in more carefully lettered, legible handwriting. This way, he could make as many mistakes, erase and re-write as much as he wanted, and the final draft would be able to be graded appropriately, not to mention read easily, by the teachers. 'Hermione would be proud...' He thought with a wry smile, frowning only a moment later when he considered their fight last night. He hoped that she would come around. Hermione was a smart girl, and although easily swayed by higher authority, he knew that she was logical enough to at least accept his new self, instead of demanding that he return to his old self. Ron... well, Ron would just have to wait. The youngest Weasley male was entirely too volatile of temper to try and reason with at the current time, and it was far better to wait and let the young wizard recognize his mistakes than to point them out to him.

CRACK! The loud noise, though made from two people, manifested at nearly the same time, and made Harry's ears ring faintly. Fred and George grinned at him from the center of the room, the latter holding a tray of food.

"Hello Harry!"

"Mum thought you might like a spot of lunch."

"Merlin! Don't you two know how to use a door?" Harry grumbled back, sitting back and rubbing a hand across his eyes. Sebastian, momentarily surprised by the loud noise, had turned his attention from an odd looking locket to the twins and was now staring at them, unblinking red eyes glittering in the sunlight that streamed through the window. Fred watched the large black snake, somewhat unnerved by the intensity of its stare, and blinking in surprise when Harry hissed to it with an amused smile.

/I do believe your staring is making them nervous, Sebastian./

/Is that not the best thing about having a snake as a familiar? The ability to intimidate utilizing only the lack of eyelids for an unblinking gaze worthy of the most deadly of predators. Or was it the venom?/

/You have an answer for everything, don't you?/

/If my master requires it, then yes. I am, after all, one hell of a butler./

/Currently, you're a familiar./

/Exactly./

Harry snorted, turning back to the Twins and leaning back in his chair, smiling in amusement.

"Ignore him, he's just doing that to try and intimidate you. What'd Mrs. Weasley make today?" Fred coughed quietly, tearing his gaze away from Sebastian and grinning cheerfully at Harry instead. George, snorting softly, strode forward to hand over the tray.

"Egg salad sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, and some pumpkin juice." He answered, moving back to sit on the bed once Harry had taken the tray and settled it on his desk, careful to move his homework to one side. "Amazing isn't it?" He then asked, gazing around the room in appreciation.

"What?" Harry questioned, somewhat confused. Watching the twins, he picked up a sandwich and bit into it.

"What'd you mean what? You're sitting in it!"

Now even more confused, Harry glanced about the room, looking for anything out of place. Nothing. Of course, with a perfectionist like Sebastian around, that was to be expected.

"What's so amazing about a room?"

"It's not just the room mate! It's the fact that it's a _clean_ room." Fred answered, staring at Harry as if he had been hit in the head by a bludger. Harry shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich and chewing thoughtfully, mind racing to come up with a believable reason for his lack of surprise. 'I've got a snake familiar who is really a demon butler, and he likes things really clean' really wasn't on his list of things to admit.

"It was like this when I went to bed. I figured there was some kind of spell in place that cleans the room you choose to sleep in or something. I mean, Hogwarts is pretty clean all the time, right? Why can't this place be like that?" He finally answered, having swallowed his mouthful. Sebastian hissed quietly in approval, shifting his coils back into a patch of sunlight. "Whatever the reason, the place is clean, why worry about it?" He continued, leaning back in his chair and giving the two of them a thoughtful look. "Why're you two here anyway? Ron or Hermione could have easily delivered the tray, or your mum. So why you?"

Fred and George smirked.

"Ickle Harrikins has gotten smarter hasn't he?"

"Too right he has. Maybe the Tournament did some good after all."

"Well, since you asked, we wanted to apologize for Ron,"

"Not that the bloody idiot is going to anytime soon,"

"And tell you that we've used the generous donation from House Potter to fund the beginnings of our most brilliant plans to date." Harry raised an eyebrow. 1,000 Galleons was really that helpful? Interesting.

"Plans?"

"Why yes, young Master Harry! Wonderful plans,"

"Devious inventions,"

"Pranks for all ages!"

"I see. What does this have to do with me?"

"Well, seeing as you're the reason we were able to begin so swiftly,"

"We decided to make you our silent partner, if you will."

"You'll get a portion of the profits and free stuff, whenever you want it."

Harry stared, considering this. For them to make him a silent partner, officially, they would need papers. Papers that would be found at Gringotts, where the money from his part of the profits would be stored. A small, mischievous gleam made his eyes flash, and he smiled charmingly.

"If I were to agree to this, you'd have to have the proper papers, set up an account for the money to be deposited into, and a whole list of other things, correct?"

"Well... yes. How'd you know that?"

"I've been studying." He waved dismissively and leaned forward a little, focusing on the two of them intently. "The papers you need are found at Gringotts. I need to get to Gringotts, _without a guard. _It is absolutely imperative that Dumbledore not find out."

"Sneaking, Harry?"

"How Slytherin of you."

"I suppose we can get you there and back without anyone the wiser."

"We do have our licenses, after all."

"So you will?"

"Of course! Why, it'd be a right shame if we didn't help you get one over on the old goat." Harry grinned, holding both hands out, arms crossed. Fred smirked back and took one hand, while George took the other, and the three of them shook.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen." Harry replied, a teasing lilt to his tone that suggested that the formality was merely an act of fun.

"Pleasure's all ours, my good man!"

"Right'o, old chap! We'll come round again tomorrow, round about 9?"

"9 is perfect. Go make your arrangements, and tell your mother I said thanks for the meal."

* * *

><p>Thump, thump.<p>

Harry sighed, glancing up from his almost finished essay and turning in his seat to look at the door. Briefly he wondered who it could be. Sirius would have knocked and bounced in without waiting, cheerfully calling him. Remus would have knocked, and called to let him know who it was before waiting to be let in. Ron was out of the question, there was no way the red-head had realized his error this soon. Hermione then, or one of the Order, come to get him for another of those meetings.

"Come in." He called wearily, turning back and focusing on the conclusion of his essay. Damn Snape for setting such tough summer work.

"Harry? Um... Is this a bad time? I mean- I can come back if you don't want me to-"

"I said come in Hermione. Make sure to close the door behind you, would you?" He interrupted, not bothering to turn around just yet. He wanted to listen first, before facing her, and feigning disinterest would make her flustered, and she'd try harder to get her point across. Sure enough, he heard her cross the room, stopping a few feet away from him and pausing there, as if expecting him to turn around. He didn't of course, pausing only to look over the last section of his essay before scribbling another line.

"Harry... I- I wanted to apologize. F-for yesterday." She began, fidgeting and watching him. Sebastian listened from his place on the windowsill, remaining still and quiet, as she hadn't seemed to notice him yet, and he didn't want to frighten her into not speaking. Harry remained quiet, seemingly ignoring her and keeping his gaze on the parchment under his fingertips, though his eyes did not move.

"I... Well, you know how Ron is... He doesn't think. And I... I just, didn't know what to think either." She paused, expecting him to speak up, to say something, anything in retaliation, and still he remained silent. "It's just that... you're not the same anymore Harry. I couldn't believe it when I saw you yesterday. Your clothes, your hair, even the way you speak, it's all changed! I just don't understand why." She finally blurted, taking a half-step forward, moving as if to grab him and force him to look at her, though she stopped a foot away, still reaching.

"Did you not consider that maybe I changed because of what happened last year? That maybe, just maybe, I might have gotten a little more mature, a little smarter, after that fiasco?" He replied softly, turning slowly in his chair to look at her. She stared back, brown eyes watery and hair frizzier than normal, as if she had run distressed fingers through it several times over. "Did you not think that perhaps my situation might have caused the changes? That watching one of my schoolmates fall lifeless in front of my eyes might have some affect? Or were you too busy deluding yourself that all is fine with the world, that things are as happy and carefree as they were before Halloween of our First Year?" He bit out harshly, fighting the urge to apologize for his words as she broke, her shoulders slouching and hands coming up to hide her face as she sobbed quietly.

"I-I didn't. I didn't think. I didn't want to consider it."

"You didn't think. Instead you stayed silent, not thinking, while one of your best friends accused you other best friend of going Dark, all because of his choice of Familiar."

"I'm sorry Harry! I'm so terribly sorry. I hadn't even considered what the Third Task had done to you, done to us all. I was... was blind, and I see that now. Can you... can you ever forgive me?"

"I... I need some time to think about it Hermione. You... that really hurt, when you didn't stand up for me. You're supposed to be the smart one, the brains of our little group, but you didn't do anything to try and help. You just stood by and watched while Ron... While Ron was being Ron. I expected it from him, that's just the way he thinks sometimes... but you... I expected you to have my back, Hermione. I expected you to pipe up with some witty little comment about it being a good idea to use a creature that I can actually talk to." He stared at the wall as he spoke, his words soft, but clear, and his knuckles white against the dark wood of the chair beneath his hands. There was a few moments of silence, only Hermione's quiet sniffling, and the two's breathing disturbing the tension.

"If you didn't have anything else to say...?" He continued after a moment, turning slightly to look out the window so as to avoid her gaze. If he allowed himself to look at her, all of his resolve would crumble, and he would apologize, hug her and tell her everything, and that was something he could not afford to do. Not yet.

"N-no. Nothing else. I'll... I'll go now." She turned, heading for the door and, pausing with her hand on the knob, glanced back. "He is nice, your familiar. He fits you." She said softly, slipping through the door before he could reply.

* * *

><p>Sebastian stared at the ugly hunk of metal, unblinking red eyes swirling with interest. He listened vaguely to his Master and the girl argue, only paying enough attention to be able to react should something go wrong. The rest of his attention was focused on figuring out what the locket contained.<p>

He knew, as soon as he set foot back in the young Lord's room, that whatever was inside the locket, also lingered within his master. It both irritated and intrigued him, the former because he did not know what this strange magic was, nor if it was harmful to his master, and the latter because... well, it was something new.

Not to mention the power. It swirled around the locket, a vortex of darkness that made his skin crawl with desire. His tongue flickered out, tasting the magic, and he almost moaned at the delicious tingle that ran across the forked tip. Turning his head, he resisted the urge to swallow the golden metal, phantom teeth aching with the urge to tear into the heart of the magic and drain it of all its mysterious energy.

Instead, he focused on his master. The boy was staring at the wall, facing away from the closed door. They were the only ones in the room, and so he slid from the windowsill, morphing back to his more humanoid form with barely a thought.

"Will you be eating dinner here, or with the rest of the house, young master?" He spoke quietly, busying himself with cleaning up the tray left over from lunch. Harry started, turning his gaze from the wall and focusing on him as he cleared the crumbs from the desk.

"Huh? Oh, here, I think. With Ron still upset at me, and Hermione doubting, I may as well stay here. They will come get me if they need me." He replied, dropping heavily onto the mattress and flopping back to stare at the ceiling.

"Of course, my lord."

"Sebastian?"

"My lord?"

"Should I tell them?"

"It is not for me to say. Do you wish to tell them, my lord?"

"I- I'm not sure. Hermione, maybe... after she read some things first. She wouldn't understand otherwise. Ron would just blow up again, and go on about how I shouldn't have done something so stupid, that it's Dark Magic and I'll turn out just like Voldemort for using it." Harry rolled onto his side, cuddling a pillow and staring out the window pensively. Sebastian, standing quietly, merely listened.

"Sirius... I don't know what Sirius would do. He threw me for a loop yesterday, and now I don't know what to think about him. Remus too. Snape would call me an idiot, and a show-off; Dumbledore would shake his head and try to find a way to break the Contract." He growled a little, throwing the pillow at the wall and turning back to glare at the ceiling once more.

"No. I won't tell them, at least for now. The less people who know, the more of an advantage over Voldemort we have." He finally decided, nodding to himself. Sebastian smiled, bowing a little.

"As you wish, my lord."

* * *

><p>The neighborhood was so... uniform, and plain. Each little house had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized backyard, and a nice little walk up to the front door. It nearly made him sick, if not for the delightful scent wafting from one of the houses.<p>

He flounced in, the edges of his coat brushing the door frame, long hair almost catching in the leafy mass of potted plant that stood in the corner. Nose twitching and yellow-green eyes wide in excitement, he bounced up the stairs, following his nose before pausing and staring at the door in distaste.

Plain white wood, five locks, and a cat-flap. Quivering in anticipation, he briefly wondered what on earth the humans could be keeping in here, before deciding that it didn't matter and opening the door.

"Oh, that scent! Too long have I been away, my darling!" He nuzzled the walls, the floor, and even hugged the rather lumpy pillow, ignoring the disappointment that his quarry wasn't here. No matter, he would find him soon enough. He always found him once he came back. They were destined to be together, his beloved with eyes of blood, and himself, with a fascination for all things red and sticky. It really was a lovely color.

Grell Sutcliff tossed his hair and clicked the heels of his boots together, a large and very shiny cleaver spinning lazily in his hand. His grin would have put Cheshire cats to shame, and his eyes gleamed with madness as he spoke into the deserted room.

"You can't escape me for long, Bassy, darling!"

Downstairs, Petunia Dursley stared, wondering if she had seen what she thought she had. There was no way that a man - was it a man?- with outlandishly long red hair had _flounced _into her home and up the stairs, passing an oblivious Vernon in the process. Absolutely not. Nor was he trying to find someone named 'Bassy', whoever that may be. Nope, nothing strange going on here. Humming loudly in an attempt to drown out the cooing from the upstairs bedroom -that was NOT a strange man hugging a pillow, thank you very much- she continued chopping vegetables for tonight's stew, determined to forget her overly strange visitor.

_**M.P.O.: Ah, another chapter finished. Not as long as I would have liked (3,000 words a chapter is my usual, and since this fic has one chapter with 6,000, anything less feels short in comparison). I hope it was a little more satisfactory than the last one. I'm unsure on Hermione and Harry's argument, I thought it a bit forced, and I wasn't sure if it went the way it needed to, but I couldn't write it any other way. What do you guys think? Either way, glad you read, and please do leave a review, I love them all!**_

_**Before I get into any other business, I had a reviewer ask me this: "Can you shorten your Author's Notes? They look so daunting and I end up skipping them all. Is it because you're worried that you won't cover things in the actual text? The answer would be that, no, I cannot shorten my author notes. They are long because so many people ask me questions that others who read may wish the answers to. I have had several people thank me for putting the answers to the questions they've had. No, I'm not afraid that I'm missing anything in my writing either. Some readers lack the ability to read between the lines, and so may need clarification, whether it be for why a character acted the way they did, or what exactly this character meant when they said such and such. It is through no fault of the reader, and I shall answer the questions as they come. Skip the AN if you wish, I cannot stop you, but I will not shorten them.**_

_**Quick shout-out to my favorite Author-in-Training and number one RP partner, Amelia Valencia, whose story, Purrfection, is a treat for Cats and Catwoman lovers. This amazing writer has recently joined FFN, but has been working on an original series of her own (the later two books in which a few of my own characters are used. -squees happily-).**_

_**Review thanks to: Tsuki Yosuke, xXxOtAkU-444xXx, Carrie2sky, Madam Stacey, Riku Lupo, exaigon, (?), Ice Vixen X, ReflectionsOfReality, Bookits, Shadow Eclipse, daemonkieran, tamzingrace, Atrita, Janelly Slytherin, enchanted nightingale, mabidiso, jeanne2525, Touch of the Wind, AnimeIceFox, Kai Luna, Blue-Starlight92, TristaDin, Firemockingjay, Ciel Black018, Rin Hitokiri, Matthew Blackheart, rebecca1516,**_

_**Revealing the Contract to anyone (Hermione?)?: Don't know yet. There will be one person who will know, but I'm not going to tell who it is. Harry may tell someone, he may not. It all depends on what he feels like doing when I get there.**_

_**What's Lady Black really feel about having a demon in her home?: I think she'd be inclined to squeal like a girl and fawn all over him myself, but then that may just be the hotness that is Sebastian working on her. -Giggles- Really though, Lady Black is honored by his presence, because she thinks that He will turn the young Lord Potter to the Darker Magics, and in turn, to Voldemort.**_

_**Voldy getting someone with a Contract working with him?: An interesting idea, though unlikely. Remember, the demons who are powerful enough to make the contracts require specific things from their summoners. Weak willed wizards wouldn't stand a chance, and Voldemort isn't going to up and sacrifice his best men just for a demon. I also don't think any demon would make a contract just to serve someone other than their chosen master.**_

_**Harry kitten animagus?: -bursts into fit of mad giggles- I may have to write an omake like that, but I don't think it'll happen in fic.**_

_**Will Sebastian find the Diadem, now that he's found the locket?: Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows? -wiggles eyebrows-**_

_**Sebastian letting Harry live beyond his contract ending?: It all depends on the characters, my dear readers. If Sebastian is hungry come the end of Voldemort's reign, then, goodbye Harry. If he's amused enough to watch, he may watch. I don't know yet.**_


	7. His Butler Reacting

_**M.P.O.: This is technically a repost, with a few new things thrown in. I'll leave the excuses for later, so here you go. Enjoy!**_

Chapter 6: His Butler; Reacting

Sirius stared into the fire, a small crystal glass in hand, the amber liquid within being swirled slowly, almost without thought. His father's study, clean for the first time in nearly 15 years, had become the convict's haven, providing a familiar comfort that he desperately needed. No human could spend 12 years with the demons of their past without some side-effects and, despite his advantages, Sirius was no different.

"Forty-two."

Sirius jumped, turning in his chair to stare at the one who had spoken. Remus Lupin smiled at him from the doorway, the lycanthrope's shoulder wedged against the frame as if it was the only thing holding him up. Sirius blinked at him, idly reflecting that the full moon had come and gone a few days prior.

"What?"

"Forty-two." Remus replied simply, pushing off of the frame and making his way to one of the leather chairs placed in front of the hearth.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Sirius stared back, just as clueless as before.

"It's the Answer." Remus was smiling, which was as close to a smirk as the biblophile ever got, as far as Sirius was aware. The dark haired man narrowed his eyes, staring at his best friend.

"The answer to what?"

"Life. The Universe. Everything." Of course, he was mad. Cracked. Absolutely bonkers.

"Moony old pal, I think you've gone off your rocker. Need I worry about your wardrobe reflecting similar taste to our dear Headmaster anytime soon?" Remus snorted, and both men paused for a moment to picture him dressed in one of Albus' gaudy robes. Hot pink owls with an eye-watering shade of orange in the background. Sirius shook his head, determined to never put his poor mind through that again.

"I'm not mad, Padfoot." Sirius snorted. "OK, not totally mad anyway. I was merely attempting to give you the answer that the fire could not. You were seeking the answer to the Ultimate Question, weren't you?"

"If this is some book reference Moony, you know very well that I won't get it." A sigh.

"True. You and James never were much for reading..." Both men fell silent for a moment, all thoughts carefully avoiding mention of the fourth in their old group, the traitorous rat. The fire crackled merrily in the background and Sirius found himself entranced by the flames once more, ice-blue eyes fixed on the cherry-red tongues that licked around a block of wood he had set on top of the pile minutes before.

"Do you think something happened?" Remus spoke again, swirling his own glass of Scotch, though when he had managed to get it, Sirius had no idea.

"Huh?"

"To Harry. He's... different now."

"Last year was not the kindest to him... or anyone."

"I suppose you're right... But-"

"What is it Moony?"

"He just feels different. Something's changed about him, but I can't tell what it is. I-" He paused, frowning. "Moony is restless. Something is making him nervous, and it only ever happens when Harry is nearby."

"Could it be a reaction to the familiar? You never have liked snakes, particularly the venomous breeds. Remember that incident with the Runespoor?" Sirius all but smirked at the twitch and glare that little memory brought about. Remus rolled his eyes, relaxing back in the chair and wrinkling his nose at the other man.

"That was entirely your fault and you know it, Sirius Black."

"What's your point?"

"That you- What am I saying, we're getting off topic."

"So Harry's a little different. Isn't it a good thing?"

"Well... He does seem a little more inclined to studying than galavanting around looking for trouble."

"Of course you'd think that's a good thing. Bloody bookworms, the lot of you."

"Oh hush. I suppose that I'm just reacting to how much he's changed over the summer. The last time I really saw him, he was just a boy."

"That he was. Now, seeing as you'd managed to sneak yourself some Scotch, I think a little drinking is in order. After all, Harry is safe and sound, and the House of Black is cleaner than it's been in years!"

* * *

><p>Albus frowned thoughtfully, his gaze unfocused and seemingly fixed on a spot of dark stone above the door to his office. Tapping his fingers against each other, he huffed quietly, then lowered his eyes, the clear blue orbs sharpening as he regained his focus on the now.<p>

"How did you do it?" He muttered to himself, leaning back in his seat and contemplating a large stone basin filled with silvery liquid. A pensive to be exact, currently occupied by a memory of the carnage found in the Alley between Privet Drive and Wisteria Walk in Surry, England. Well… not carnage, per say, but disgusting all the same...

_Albus paused in the entrance to the alley, his eyes widening faintly at the truly horrible odor that wafted towards his nose. Swiftly employing a little-known variety of the bubble-head charm (which kept fresh air in his nose, without that obnoxious bubble), he made his way forward, only to stop again when confronted with a pink haired Auror. _

"_Professor! What're you doing here, sir?" The young woman, Nymphadora Tonks, asked, turning from her inspection of the wall to greet him while her partner, a dark-skinned male named Kingsley, continued his investigation. _

"_Ah, Auror Tonks. Good evening. I just stopped by to see what had happened, as it concerns one of my little fledglings, of course. Not to mention that the others in the Wizengamot will be interested to learn why two of Azkaban's Guards were so far from home. What can you tell me?"_

"_Not much, unfortunately." Kingsley stood, towering over Tonks and appearing as though made of granite in comparison to Tonks' own bright cheer. "There is no Trace to analyze, not even a weapon that could have done what the evidence suggests."_

"_No trace? You can't mean that this…" He paused, gesturing to the gruesome display. "That this _wasn't _done with the use of a spell?"_

"_That's exactly what I mean, sir." _

"_And you're sure that Mr. Potter was here at least minutes before this all happened?" _

"_Positive, sir. Ms. Figg reported watching him enter the Alley with his cousin, though she was unable to witness them returning home. Said something about a missing cat and snakes in her bushes..." _

_"Well if there wasn't magic used, then what /was/ it?"_

_"We're not entirely sure... Found a butter knife in that one's rib-cage though. Doesn't give us much to work with though, since muggles can't see them, and no wizard I've ever seen would be so low as to use one, let alone carry one on his person. It is highly confusing."_

_"So an unknown. Who may or may not know where Mr. Potter lives... This is troubling."_

Albus idly rubbed his forehead while he reflected on the scene, toying with a lemon drop while he thought. On his perch, Fawks trilled softly, lifting his head from beneath his wing to peer curiously at his wizard. Albus smiled wearily at his familiar, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm not quite sure what to do, my friend." The old wizard muttered softly, watching one of the many silver instruments littering his desk. "There's something... off. A new player is on the board, but I cannot see what piece it is, how it moves, or to whom it belongs. I have a feeling it has to do with Harry, but I can't be sure of that either. There is something he's not telling anyone..."

{You think too much, Albus. What makes you think your Harry-chick is hiding anything?} The phoenix replied, nibbling at an itch beneath his wing. Albus tilted his head a little, frowning slightly.

"He just seems... darker. More withdrawn. Not to mention that familiar of his. I fear he's going to do something that we won't be able to stop."

{Maybe he has simply grown up, and realized that such talent as the Serpent Tongue should not be wasted because of propaganda? Do not push him, Albus. He has had a rough time of it. You must allow him time to gather himself, to figure out what he wants. He is not a chess piece, just as you are not a Game Master.}

"Perhaps you're right. I'll distance myself this year and just watch. Hopefully, Tom won't try anything for a while yet. He'll want to lay low, after the way Harry outted him in June."

{Psychological Warfare, you think?}

"I am all but sure of it, my friend. Let us hope that the pressure does not become too much for Harry to handle..."

* * *

><p>Molly Weasley bustled about the kitchen of Number 12 Grimauld Place with single-minded intensity, spatula in one hand and wand in the other. With the house being miraculously clean- and no Kreacher in sight, oddly enough- she was doing what she did best: fixing a feast fit for Kings.<p>

"...ve you seen that thing? It's utterly deadly! How can Dumbledore let him carry it around, on his neck, no less?" Emmeline Vance- who had been consistently startled by Harry's new familiar throughout the meeting last night- declared, sinking down at the table and putting her chin in one hand, summoning a bottle of butterbeer from the icebox with her other. Frowning, Molly deposited a stack of warm rolls on the table, smacking the young woman's hand away when she reached for one.

"That poor boy has been through enough in the last four years, and I rather think it fitting that he at least have someone he can talk to without anyone overhearing. The Prophet is bad enough, I can only imagine what nonsense will spark when they get wind of his familiar. You don't have to like it, Emme, but at least have the sense to hold your tongue where he may hear. And stay out of the food, it'll be ready soon enough!" The red-headed woman replied, not unkindly, as she turned back for the stove, using her wand to stir a pot of sauce while her spatula began flipping strips of bacon by itself.

"It was glaring at me, Molly! I don't think those beady little red eyes left me once through the whole meeting. It's even worse since those vile things don't blink. Whichever god decided to make a creature without eyelids was a batty as Abe, in my opinion."

"Emmeline, as... unsettling... as it is, you'll just have to deal with it. At the least, you don't have to see him if you don't wish to. Now kindly close your mouth, and either help me get the table set or clear out."

"Fine, fine. What do you need?"

* * *

><p>Hermione sat curled into a chair in the corner of the library, a thick book with ragged edges hugged to her chest. She wasn't reading, hadn't even opened the book actually, and instead stared over the top of it, brown eyes watching a candle flicker.<p>

She had been a horrible friend, and she well knew it. She had known Ron would react that way the very second she had spotted the scaled coils looped about her friend's neck, and she had done nothing. She had let the temperamental red-head accuse Harry- a boy who was already being declared insane by the Prophet and Minister alike, to great enjoyment of the rest of Magical Britain- of going Dark. The youngest Weasley male may as well have just tossed his best friend to the Dementors for the murder of Lily and James Potter, if the look on Harry's face was anything to go by. Unsurprisingly, it had hurt to be so frozen, so unable to respond. She had thought herself stronger than that, fully able to reprimand Ron for saying such a thing and welcoming Harry and his familiar with open arms.

But she had just stood there. And now... Now Harry didn't trust her. It was like being in Primary school all over again.

Being a bookworm in a Muggle school had been fine. The teachers had adored her, and the librarians knew her by name- both even gave her nicknames on occasion. She had been friendless, but confident, assured in her knowledge and enjoying the simple pleasures of a good book over rough housing or playing dolls. Then she had gotten her letter, and everything changed. A whole new world had opened up right in front of her, and this time, she was the ignorant one. Muggleborn, Mudblood, Filth. All words that she would have never thought herself to ever be called, and all plastered like a giant target over her head from her first day in Diagon Alley. Determined to overcome, to rise above and show that she was capable of being given the same respect, she had studied. As many books as she could get, all crammed into her trunk, and even then she had still gone back, every weekend, to browse Flourish and Blotts for anything below 4th year, steadily increasing a Christmas and Holiday wish-list that soon filled an entire notebook.

Finally, the train. First, a compartment full of chattery first and second year girls who seemed to speak of nothing more than how icky boys were, or how rich their daddies happened to be. The next compartment had been filled to the brim with green and black clad upper-years, every single one of whom had fallen silent the second she slid open the door. She'd left that one alone after the largest one leveled his wand at her and sneered. Third time was the charm- pardon the pun- and she settled herself in with a round-faced boy- Neville- and a slightly dense girl with pig-tails whose name she never could recall. From there, it was sort of history, as they say; she'd helped Neville search for his toad, gotten off on the wrong foot with Harry Potter and his dirt-smudged friend Ron Weasley, been sorted into Gryffindor, and spent the next month and a half basically alone, studying for all she was worth. Halloween was arguably the best and worst night of her First-Year, in several ways. A- She'd been insulted after trying to help another student in class. Effect, hiding in the bathroom for the rest of the day, MISSING the rest of her classes while she cried her eyes out. Subsequent events led her to be trapped by a Mountain Troll, saved by none other they the boy who'd insulted her and his 'famous' friend, LIED to a teacher, and lost ten points for the first time ever. Nevermind that Harry and Ron got it back less than three minutes later...

Oh boy, she was rambling again. Sighing, the weary bookworm closed her eyes, resting her forehead against her knees and staring wistfully at the wall.

"I've got a lot of work to do..."

* * *

><p><strong>And, since I couldn't think up how to put Ron's internal ramblings, and Snape was being unusually quiet- have an Omake instead:<strong>

**Omake 2: The Animagus Test-**

Harry stared doubtfully at the bubbling concoction sitting before his nose, which was being waved from side to side by an entirely too cheerful crisp white glove.

"Come, my master, it isn't that bad. Just a quick swallow and a little dizziness, and you'll know your Animagus form. You /did/ tell me to make this so that you could find out."

"I know that. I just… didn't think it would smell quite this bad. Or look like that."

"Three raven's feathers, plucked under a half-moon. Two teaspoons syrup of doberman. Five hairs from a wild lion. Seven Newt Tails, three cobra scales, and a cutting of fresh nightshade, mixed in boiling water and stirred counterclockwise with a sharks' fin. No, I don't believe it was meant to be anything less than absolutely disgusting. It is likely the reason so few go through with the transformation. Still, you bade me make it, and so I did. Drink now, my lord."

Harry frowned, deciding that he really hadn't wanted to hear what the stuff was made of, and gave his Butler a suspicious look. Of course, he was smiling. Like always. And he was still holding out the cup too. Great. Groaning, he took the thing from Sebastian and downed it in a single swallow- tossing it back like someone experienced with tequila shots, or perhaps just someone who has been taking foul tasting potions for years. Shuddering at the taste- an odd combination of cat-litter, bird poo, dog slobber, and textured like scales and slime- he closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed to wait.

It started slowly- at first just a mild disorientation, and then progressing to the odd feeling of being twisted and turned, pressed in from all sides. Finally, that was over, and he had a split second to open his eyes before the world went black again.

"Oh of all the creatures, my lord! How blessed, how beautiful! Such dainty little pads, the fur like a coat of purest night. Truly gorgeous, I must say. And those eyes, like the finest emeralds. Why, I-"

"Sebastian… why are you hugging me?"

"My apologies, my lord. It won't happen again."

"Mmm. What was it?"

"A… A kitten, my lord."

"…"

_**M.P.O.: SURPRISE! Isn't it nice to finally have an update? I know it isn't very progressive, plot wise, and that it took me entirely too long to get out, and for that I'm sorry. I'm also not sure when I'll get the next chapter out, unfortunately. I have recently acquired a job, and I also work at home making crafty little hair accessories or pixeled bead art, AND I'm also a Moderator over on one of my favorite roleplay sites, so I'm on that daily too. Just busy all around, with work, study, and chores. That and an annoyingly flaky muse who likes to pop run off once I've actually gotten an idea. Urgh. For those curious, NO I have NOT abandoned this fic. It's simply taking a bit to get back into the swing of things, in my head anyway. I haven't written anything substantial in a /long/ while, but I'm made a promise to myself to FINISH this one, even if it takes me ten years. Review replies (for Chapter 6, chapter 7 replies will be in the next update) below, have a great summer!**_

_**Review thanks to: DGtnsl, S. Rune, 9foxgrl, Paxloria, RedEYES-Fallen, freezing1203, angel61991, Ciekawa Osoba, Blackmass, AiSard, rollicking skater, kits-hold-their-tears, Amelia Valencia, NotSoInnocentSpecialKit, namikaze natsumi-hime, Shadow Wolf 15846, icestar-comet-moon, myheartstillbleedsforyou, Mangal2012, harrylover101, PenguinBandit523, mabidiso, Silvermane1,TristaDin, Celebwen Telcontar, Wraith, Adele365, Ciel Black018, exaigon, Firemockingjay, the dark euphie, AnimeIceFox, Atrita, XxAlysxX, Pinksakura200, Carrie2sky, Niwaki, DarkMoonKilling, enchanted nightingale, mist shadow, flamenin, melclem, Touch of the Wind, Janelly Slytherin, xXxOtAkU-444xXx, Kimera225, belle hawk, Riku Lupo, ChocolateBunnyChan, Shadow Eclipse, Xiaoqing, Wragziez,**_

_**How does a snake moan?: Erm, that was more metaphorical than literal, though I wouldn't put it past Sebastian to be able to make a snake moan. He's just that awesome.**_

_**Harry is still somewhat weak willed...: Yes and no. If you notice, he refrained from forgiving Hermione. He said he'd think about it, but he never came out and said 'I forgive you.' He was resisting the urge to do so, not because he is weak willed, but because Harry, who had no friends before Hogwarts, doesn't like being at odds with his friends and wants everything to be alright. He also knows that if /he/ is the one to apologize, then the same thing will just happen later on and cause more problems. So, in order to help his friends grow as he did, he is resisting the urge to 'fix' everything and leaving them to try and fix it themselves.**_

_**Where's Grell's chainsaw?: I figure he hasn't been allowed to have it back yet. With such long 'lives' as the Death Gods have, it stands to reason that Grell would still be under probation for his actions with Madam Red. At least he's not running around with safety scissors anymore...**_

_**Does Sebastian know Grell is running about?: *wink* That would be telling, my dears.**_

_**Is Harry going to turn evil?: No. Absolutely not. Harry has no plans for World Domination, or even the Dominion of Wizarding Britain. He only wishes to rid the world of Voldemort and be at peace with himself, for once in his life. Remember, Dark does not mean evil, just as Light does not mean good. Just because the Ritual used to summon Sebastian was one of the blackest of black magics, doesn't mean that Harry's going to become a gung-ho killer. Also, what good would it do to achieve world dominance, only to give it up as soon as Volders was dealt with?**_

_**How come only Petunia saw Grell?: Simply put, he was masking himself, like dampening his presence enough that a regular person wouldn't be able to see him. Since Lily Evans had magic, and Petunia has been exposed to the Magical world, I figure that she has a kind of 'sight' about her that allows her to see what a regular muggle wouldn't. Vernon has never been to Diagon or the Leaky Cauldron, nor has he ever set foot on Platform 9 3/4, so he's still 'magically oblivious', one could say. Grell would be perfectly visible to a full wizard, or anyone with magic in their bloodline. Dudley, if he had been home when Grell dropped by (which he wasn't) would have been able to see him as well, in following the belief that Muggleborns are merely descendants of Squib outcasts. This is also why Sebastian remains hidden because, as shown with Remus, magical creatures can sense what he is to an extent, though only those with knowledge of his kind would be able to pin-point exactly what he is. The only difference between them is that Grell can choose be invisible to Muggles without 'the Sight' (as I shall call it), and Sebastian is not.**_

_**Will Harry hire Dobby, or Kreacher, in addition to Sebastian?: Kreacher is a Black Family elf. Unless he is given clothes by the current Head (Sirius), he is still owned and thus cannot be obtained by Harry. Dobby... Not sure what I'm doing with Dobby yet. He is a rather... Light... creature, and I'm not sure he's going to take Harry's changes very well, even if he is devoted to the young Lord. **_

_**Sirius' new attitude?: Hm, one or two curiosities about this actually. I've always had a soft spot for Siri, and frankly, I think he should have been a little more Harry centered in the book anyway. It's my belief that the injuries Harry received in /my/ version of the Third Task have altered Sirius' priorities a little. After all, damaged legs can be fixed, scratches and bruises healed with no problem, but supposed nerve damage to an eye, half-blinding someone forever (or so they believe), that's a lot to swallow. So his reactions to Harry's familiar (after about two months to figure out exactly what he want to be in Harry's life, are pretty believable, at least to my brain.**_

_**Alright, horribly long AN over, be free my readers, and leave me a juicy review telling me how much you love (or hate) me! XD**_


	8. AUTHOR NOTE: IMPORTANT

_**MPO: NOTE! Extra stuff added to Chapter 6- His Butler; Reacting! Not a lot, but it's something. Author note at the end explains it all.**_

_**This note will be removed from the chapters list next Friday- June 7th, 2013. All reviews should go to the chapter before this note, and all will be answered upon the next chapter's posting- Date unknown. **_

_**I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS FIC. **_

_**Hear it now, people! I'm not giving up. It's going to take a while, because my muses are a little rusty, but I WILL finish this story, even if it takes me ten years to complete. **_

_**Have a wonderful Summer, an awesome Litha- for those who celebrate- a great 4th of July- provided I don't update before then, etc etc. Ta!**_


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